Letters From Delta
by Sailor Angie
Summary: COMPLETE-Lonely and paranoid, Edward Cullen, Hollywood's new 'It-Boy' decides to leave his instant fame behind him. He re-locates to a small town in Northern Wisconsin where he'll discover life out of the spotlight is just as complicated. AU/AH ExB Lemons
1. Chapter 1: June 25

**June 25**

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_Dear Jane,_

_Effective immediately, I no longer require your services as my publicist and manager._

_I have decided to withdraw from all future projects and will be away from Los Angeles indefinitely._

_Sincerely,_

_Anthony Masen_

_P.S. Fuck you._

_

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Staring at his reflection in the make-up trailer, Edward barely recognized the face staring back at him. The wavy blonde surfer hair, unnatural cerulean colored eyes and carefully maintained 5 o'clock shadow made him who everyone thought he was.

"Anthony, there's some lawyer on the phone, about your dad's cars." Edward's assistant Jasper popped his head through the trailer door, disrupting Edward's self-loathing.

Jasper handed him the phone and slumped down in the empty chair behind him.

"Is this Edward Anthony Cullen?" An older gentleman spoke softly through the receiver.

"Yes, this is he." Edward was wary of anyone who knew his real name. Even his little sister, Alice, had changed her last name to Masen, rather than Cullen, to keep up the charade.

"I've been contacted by your lawyer and we've discovered your father was storing his collector cars in a home your mother owned in Delta, Wisconsin." The man told Edward.

"The only house my parents owned is in Chicago, Illinois." Edward said with his brow knit together in confusion. His father's car collection consisted of 18 various vehicles, most of them were muscle cars from the late sixties. They were willed to Edward after his parents died unexpectedly three years prior. He remembered every single vehicle as they were his father's prized possessions. During the summers, when his dad wasn't teaching he'd drive cross country and to car shows.

The only problem was that they were moved from the showroom where Edward thought they were being kept, right before their passing. He had desperately been trying to locate them ever since.

"Well, the deed belongs to your mother; I don't know what to tell you." The man continued, "There are 18 cars in a hanger on the property."

Edward released a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding in, "That's them." He said in relief. He wasn't exactly sure what it was about those cars, but he needed to see them, however, at the same time he wondered if it would make their deaths more final.

"I can e-mail you the address if you'd like to see the cars and the property." The man offered.

Edward sighed in frustration, "I'm not sure if I'll be able to come any time soon, but I'd like the address as well as an inventory of the vehicles if possible." He would have given anything to see those cars again, but the fact was, he was literally booked solid for the next two years and could barely afford the time to go to the bathroom, let alone fly halfway across the country to reminisce. The consequences of instant fame were never ending.

"No problem Mr. Cullen. Your assistant has my information if you need to contact me." He offered.

"Thank you very much, have a nice day." Edward said politely before ending the call and returning the phone to Jasper.

"You found them, didn't you?" Jasper asked excitedly, "Alice is gonna want the Roadster; she never shuts up about it." He informed Edward.

"You can tell my dear sister that she's not getting her hands on any of them. She's an awful driver." He scowled, "Besides, if she remembers correctly, Dad wrecked the Roadster when we were in college." He adjusted the uncomfortable leather gun holster around his shoulders.

"Not even for a wedding present?" Jasper hedged.

"You know you have to propose first, right?" Edward gave Jasper a sideways glance. Jasper was by far the only guy he had ever approved of Alice dating. She had terrible taste in men and had always dated one of two types: tortured artists or bad boys. So when he found out she'd secretly been seeing Jasper, it was a huge relief.

Sure, he had his doubts at first because Jasper was not only his friend, but technically his employee as well. But in the back of his mind, he always knew it was going to work out between them. Jasper was the only person aside from Edward that had the guts to call Alice out on her shit and his relaxed demeanor countered her outspoken personality perfectly.

"Shut up, dude." Jasper ran his hand nervously through his blonde hair, "I just haven't found the right moment." He adjusted his coke-bottle glasses on his nose.

"You've been carrying that ring around for months." Edward said mockingly, "Just do it already."

"Anthony." Jasper glared at him, meeting Edward's gaze in the mirror, "Have you met Alice? I can't just propose whenever – however. She's lectured me plenty of times about how it needs to be special because she'll be telling this story for the rest of our lives – to our kids someday." He shook his head, stunned that Edward would even suggest he do anything half-assed as far as Alice was concerned.

"You are so whipped," Edward chuckled.

"There you are!" Alice burst through the door, "Where's your walkie Jazz?" She scolded, "They've been calling him to set for the last twenty minutes!"

Alice didn't look particularly threatening, that is, until she opened her mouth. "Why aren't either of you moving?" She snapped.

Both men got up immediately, mumbling apologies as they shoved their way past her. Alice rolled her eyes and followed close behind.

Edward took a deep breath and pumped himself up as he walked to set. It was the last time he would have to appear on screen as the infamous private investigator and vigilante, Phillip Kelley.

Momentarily he remembered the day he'd been discovered in that tiny coffee house in the valley. At the time he'd been attempting to write a screenplay, but he found the format exceedingly difficult to stick to.

"You'd think a masters in creative writing would help." He'd complain to Alice.

But everything changed that day, when a leggy blonde with an obviously surgically enhanced body approached him. He was dubious of her offer at first, but she managed to convince him to meet her on the lot the next day for a screen test.

They offered him the roll of Phillip Kelley on the spot, under the condition that he change his appearance and public personality to adhere to the character. They wanted an unknown to play the well-known literary anti-hero so they could bring him to life for the fans.

The problem was, Edward was nothing like Phillip Kelley. He wasn't a suave womanizer who oozed sex, charm and wit. He was a shy writer that was frankly afraid of women after his heart had been broken by the love of his life in college. He told the people at the studio about his fears and instead of brush him off they taught him how to change, how to become someone he was not, how to become Anthony Masen.

Alice suggested the name. When he was younger he made everyone call him Anthony because he didn't like the name Edward, so he usually went by Anthony and Masen was their grandfather's name.

"Anthony Masen just sounds like a movie star!" Alice insisted and he rarely disagreed with his sister – it was far too much of a hassle.

Thus Anthony Masen was born. And when his physical transformation was complete, including sandy blonde hair, terribly uncomfortable contacts that hid his natural eye color, scratchy stubble and ridiculously trendy clothes, he was truly Anthony Masen, and by proxy Phillip Kelley. But Edward Cullen was gone.

Nobody could have predicted the success of the first of three Phillip Kelley movies. Blockbuster didn't even begin to cover the frenzy the movie adaptation of the first book created. It was a media phenomenon. And poor, naïve Edward was stuck in the middle. Only, he wasn't Edward, he was Anthony Masen and Anthony was supposed to love the attention.

It was shocking how quickly Edward became a household name and instantly recognizable celebrity. At first, a sick part of him enjoyed the attention he received and the women that threw themselves at him (well, not the creepy forty-something soccer moms). The thing was, he always felt so plain and ordinary; he constantly surrendered the spotlight to his baby sister and now that it was his moment to shine, he took his time basking in the sun.

The elation of fame was short-lived, however, because along with the constant ego-stroking came crazy super fans that screamed his name and followed him wherever he went, an exhausting schedule that constantly left him unaware of what time it was, or where in the world he was located and the bane of his existence: the paparazzi. He didn't know how, but no matter where he was, they managed to find him. The fame that so many people dream of, was turning into an absolutely terrifying waking nightmare that Edward was powerless to stop.

Recently the tabloids had a field day with a photo that was leaked showing him and his co-star conversing at a private party. Although the act was innocent, the angle at which the photo had been taken made it appear as though they were kissing.

Suddenly everyone was obsessed with his love life and the nature of his relationship with Victoria Shields. The original story snowballed when other women came forward claiming to have been with Edward at the same time, then there were the engagement and pregnancy rumors as well. He had never met any of the women mentioned in these stories and it was never reported that Victoria had a serious boyfriend that Edward was almost sure she had eloped with during the break between shooting the first and second films.

Anthony Masen was slowly becoming a womanizing asshole, instead of the charming media darling he had been at first. Edward had never asked for any of it, never wanted to be famous. When he agreed to play Phillip Kelley he remembered his mother's favorite trope: 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained.' He thought acting would be fun, an adventure, and something to take his mind off the loss of his parents. Edward couldn't have been more wrong and he regretted signing his name on that dotted line almost every day since then.

When he saw himself in the mirror, it wasn't Edward Cullen that looked back at him. But it wasn't his alter-ego Anthony Masen or his on-screen counter-part Phillip Kelley either, not anymore. It was a stranger; a sad, lonely, angry, paranoid stranger, who would eventually destroy himself. It was no longer a matter of 'if' but a matter of 'when'.

The crew clapped for Edward and Victoria when the director called cut and exclaimed 'That's a wrap!' It had been a long day that began before the sun even rose over Los Angeles and Edward wanted nothing more than to sneak out the back door, avoid the photographers that were no doubt lurking outside and go to bed. But everyone had other ideas and Edward knew well enough by now, to do as he was told.

"Excited for the wrap party?" Alice slipped her arm through Edward's and followed him back to his trailer.

"I'd rather go home," he muttered.

"Buck up, at least there's free liquor." She beamed.

"There's always free liquor Alice." He sneered, "And there's no way I'm drinking in public after what happened the last time." Edward remembered Alice's frantic phone call asking him if he needed to check into rehab, when the tabloids leaked some photos and declared he was an alcoholic.

"It wasn't that bad." She whined.

"Well it wasn't your mug plastered all over every grocery store in America making that stupid face." He countered.

"You're such a baby." She released his arm when she saw Jasper sitting inside the trailer responding to e-mail on his Blackberry. "Miss me?" She giggled, sitting down next to him and slinging her legs over his lap.

"Always." Jasper gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

Edward looked away. The awkwardness he felt upon witnessing their public displays of affection never abated. And deep down he was envious of what they had. Given his current situation, he wouldn't even consider trying to date. What would be the point? Even if they weren't after his fame or money, he'd never want to expose anyone he loved to the chaos of his world. He longed for the life he lived before Anthony Masen existed.

Edward could barely see anything in the dim lighting of the latest Hollywood hot spot where the wrap party was being held. The club was full of plastic women and equally fake rich men. The crew that was actually responsible for the production was nowhere to be found. He was still a little disgusted with the blatant disregard for their hard work.

"I've the finalized contract for your next film with me." The devil's voice purred in Edward's ear, "I need you to sign before you leave."

"Tonight, Jane?" Edward turned around to face Jane Darling, one of the most powerful women in Hollywood, thanks to his success. One too many botox sessions had left her face perpetually frozen with an annoyed expression of displeasure. She was only 33, but somehow felt the need to immobilize the muscles in her forehead. Long bleached blonde hair and fake boobs completed the ensemble.

"Yes, tonight." She hissed, then her eyebrows surprisingly unfurrowed.

'Time for another injection,' Edward laughed inwardly.

"But I also want you to have fun tonight." She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down to her, "All work and no play…" She winked suggestively and released him.

Edward held his breath, her perfume was so thick, he thought he might suffocate.

"Find me later." She brought her index finger up to his face and touched his nose before spinning on her precariously high heels and swaying her hips exaggeratedly in a skirt that was just a bit too tight for even her slim figure.

Edward sighed and was attempting to make his way over to the bar when he was stopped by two twenty-somethings that managed to get into the club.

"Oh my god, we're huge fans!" One shouted, "Can we get your autograph!?"

"And a photo!" The other added.

Edward put on his best smile, "Of course ladies," he crooned.

The first girl found a passerby to take the photo and the three of them smiled as Edward was temporarily blinded by the flash. He felt the second visibly shaking as she removed her hand from around his waist.

"I don't have anything to sign." The second girl's voice cracked as she searched through her purse, but she did have a Sharpie in her hand. She looked up at him nervously.

"I can sign your bag." Edward offered smoothly, it wasn't the first time this had happened, "On the inside, so it'll be our secret." He grinned down at her.

If it was possible the girl visibly swooned.

"Who shall I make it out to?" He asked politely.

The girl was frozen, "Jessica." The first girl spoke, "Her name's Jessica."

Edward folded the inside of her tote bag back and signed 'Jessica, I couldn't have done it without you. Always, Anthony Masen.' At the end of each movie and book a different character would tell Phillip Kelley that they couldn't do it without him, so he thought she would enjoy it. She gushed when he handed the bag back to her and her cheeks flushed an even brighter crimson as she read what he wrote.

"It's Lauren." The first girl with more confidence smiled as she handed Edward the Vanity Fair which he shot the cover and a ten-page pictorial for, just before the first Phillip Kelley movie was released. "I'm seriously your biggest fan. We love you as Phillip Kelley, I mean he's like our ideal man!" She babbled.

Edward nodded appreciatively, as he was taught and signed, 'To Lauren, my #1 fan, you're my ideal woman. All my love, Anthony Masen.'

"I really appreciate all the support Lauren." He turned, "Jessica." She looked like she was going to faint. "I hope you enjoy the second one, it comes out on Labor Day weekend."

"Oh, we know, we already bought our tickets for the midnight show at the Arclight." Lauren prattled.

"Awesome." He grinned, "Have fun tonight, it was nice meeting you both." He gave them a small wave as he slipped past them.

"Oh my god, he's so much hotter in person! I can't believe I froze like that. Did we seriously just meet Anthony Masen!?" Jessica jumped up and down with her friend.

He glanced back and saw them fawning over the photo that had been taken. Edward sidled up next to Victoria at the bar, hoping they had bottled water. Speaking to Jane and dealing with fans always left him feeling slightly nauseous.

"What a ladies man." She joked.

"Right," he snorted.

"You're really great with them though." She said more seriously, "I mean sure I've got my fair share of stalkers, but I don't know how you deal with the screaming and everything else."

"I don't. I just kind of shut down; it's like I'm not there." He signaled the bartender and tried not to think too much about the truth of his words.

"Are you glad it's over?" Victoria tucked a lock of her curly red hair behind her ear.

"It'll never be over." He laughed, "I'll be Phillip Kelley for the rest of existence."

She laughed with him, "Well, are you at least excited for a break?"

"What break?" He quickly asked the bartender for bottle of water, "I start work on an indie film in two days."

"I heard about that." She smiled ; Victoria had always been sweet, but generally kept to herself, "Shooting on-location in New York's gonna be a bitch in the summer." She traced her finger around the rim of her wine glass.

"I'm not paid to worry about logistics. I'm paid to show up and shut up, unless I'm told otherwise." He said humorlessly.

Victoria's eyes softened, "I'm gonna miss that optimism of yours."

Edward grinned, "I bet."

A tall, burly man came up behind Victoria and wrapped his arms around her torso. She yelped in surprised, but relaxed as soon as she realized who it was.

"Keeping my girl company?" James, her boyfriend, perhaps husband, rested his chin on her shoulder.

Edward nodded and took a sip of the water. Idly he wondered if Alice had any Tylenol in her purse. He listened politely as James told him a story about having to punch an overzealous fan they encountered while on vacation (the one where they 'didn't' get married) and felt guilty as his mind wandered before James finished.

"You don't look so good." Victoria placed her hand on Edward's arm.

"It's just a little warm in here; I think I'm gonna go get some fresh air." He smiled weakly and excused himself. Pushing past the hipster smokers, he rounded the corner, but stopped dead in his tracks when he heard Jane's voice.

"I just got some amazing shots for you." She beamed. "Does it matter what he was actually doing? It looks like Victoria's boyfriend is punching him and I've got a shot of her touching his arm affectionately. Plus I snapped a ton of him holding a water bottle filled with vodka. A story about him falling off the wagon will get you serious numbers." She paused, listening to the voice on the other line.

Edward's stomach churned and he thought he might throw up. That harpy had been the one leaking everything to the press.

"Obviously it's exclusive. Just wire the money to my account and I'll send you some quotes." Edward walked around the corner to find her examining her nails, nodding silently.

He tore the phone from her fingers in a rage and threw it on the ground, "You bitch." He seethed.

She would have looked shocked, had it not been for the botox, but instead, she just looked pissed, "Do you honestly believe anyone would give a shit about you if those stories weren't on newsstands?" She placed her hands on her hips in defiance.

"They're all lies! YOU LIED!" He cried, and the flashbulbs that began to go off around him went unnoticed despite his anger.

"Come now Anthony." Jane's mouth curled into a fiendish grin and he got the distinct impression that she was striking a pose.

"You're ruining my life!" He encroached on her space.

She took a step forward and glared up at him, "Anthony, let's go inside and discuss this like adults." She said calmly and placed her hand on his arm.

Edward violently snatched his arm from her clutches, "I'm not going anywhere with you!" He shouted, "We're finished!"

He almost hit four paparazzi when he tried to drive away from the valet and sped off to his home in the Hollywood hills.

The drive to his house was more dangerous than usual because the photographers decided to give chase due to his uncharacteristic outburst at the club. He didn't even want to think about all the stories that Jane would spin out of the photos taken.

Alice found him in his room while he was halfway through packing, or rather throwing clothes and shoes haphazardly on his bed.

"What are you doing?" She said with concern as she got between him and the closet, "What happened at the club?" She tugged on his shirt.

He shoved her away, harder than he intended, and she fell to the ground. Edward stopped immediately and stared in horror at her sprawled on the floor in her cocktail dress.

"Oh my god, Alice. I'm so sorry." His voice cracked as he bent down to help her to her feet.

"It's fine." She mumbled dejectedly as she righted herself.

"I didn't—"

"Enough." She held her hand up, palm facing him, "I know you didn't mean it. But you have to tell me what's going on." She rubbed her hand down his arm.

"Jane planted the stories." He swallowed thickly, still feeling sick about it all.

"That bitch." Jasper called from the doorway.

Alice turned on her heel to glare at Jasper.

He frowned apologetically.

"Can you cut my hair and dye it?" Edward asked Alice suddenly thankful she attended cosmetology school while he pursued his Masters degree. Her affinity for fashion and style had always been a nuisance before then.

"What? Why?" She turned again to face Edward.

"Dude, what's with the clothes?" Jasper asked.

"I'm leaving." Edward said matter-of-factly.

Alice couldn't help but let a small giggle escape, "You can't leave." She choked.

"Wanna bet?" Edward challenged, "I never signed those final contracts and now that the movie's wrapped, I'm not obligated to do anything."

Alice stared at her brother, mouth agape, utterly confused. It may have been the first time in their 28 years that he had rendered her speechless.

"Where are you gonna go?" Jasper stepped into the room and took his place beside Alice.

"I'm not sure, anywhere but here. I can't do this anymore. I'm going insane." He shook his head, begging them to understand.

"What color?" Alice whispered almost inaudibly.

"Huh?" Edward prompted.

"What color do you want your hair?" She said a bit louder.

"My natural color." He requested, "Can you cut it short like it was before?"

"Anthony, faux-hawks aren't really 'in' right now." She complained.

"Alice…" Edward rolled his eyes.

"Fine, fine." She held her hands up in defeat, "It's gonna take a while since I want to do foils as well as a semi-permanent color. Jazz can finish packing for you." She told them both.

Edward followed Alice into her and Jasper's bathroom down the hall. She instructed him to sit down on the toilet and he complied.

He watched his sister as she began to mix together the color and chattered aimlessly. As his twin, they had always been identical and inseparable.

Alice always wore her hair in short cut, even when they were kids, so she could be just like her older brother, well, only by four and a half minutes, but he still lorded the small time difference over her head.

In truth, she was his best friend and favorite ally. She followed him to the University of Wisconsin, even though she had been accepted to Parson's School of Design in New York and when he decided to stay longer than the standard four years to complete the two year Masters program, there was never a question of 'if' Alice would stay with him, she just did.

At the age of 25, their worlds collapsed around them when their loving and doting parents died suddenly though. Edward might have been older, but it was Alice who had been stronger – braver. However, even her immense courage couldn't keep the depression and weight of their parent's deaths at bay.

One night she came into Edward's room crying and slipped into his bed, like she used to do when they were kids and she'd been frightened by a nightmare.

"I can't stay in this house." She sobbed, "I keep thinking they're going to walk through the door, like they're just on vacation. But they're not coming back."

Edward knew then that she was going to leave, after all, he knew better than anyone that she was destined for greater things. But he also knew that wherever she decided to go, he would follow her.

Two weeks later they had used part of their sizeable inheritance and moved to Los Angeles so she could finally pursue the dreams she'd put on hold to stay by his side. And now, here he was, leaving her for the first time in his life. He hoped they'd both survive the separation, but at the very least she had Jasper to comfort her.

Alice cringed when the first lock of Edward's infamous hair hit the bathroom floor, but she did seem somewhat pleased with the end result after she finished with him.

Edward took pleasure in ridding his face of the scruff that drove women nuts. He blinked in relief when he popped out the custom contacts that had been made for him and slid on a pair of silver wire framed glasses Alice picked out for him. He kept them around just in case, but rarely took out the contacts as it was unnecessary due to some cutting edge technology and more painful than keeping them in.

Staring at himself in the mirror then, he found it impossible to suppress the wide grin that spread along his face. He recognized the green eyes behind the thin lenses, shorter, but still unruly bronze hair and clean-shaven angular jaw. For the first time in years he felt like the person he was before he moved to Los Angeles with Alice. Anthony Masen and his on-screen counterpart Phillip Kelley were gone. Edward Cullen had returned.

Alice entered his bathroom, "It's perfect." He smiled at her.

"I hardly recognize you." She frowned.

Edward smiled broader, "I know; it's perfect."

She slowly walked up beside him and he wrapped his arm around her small shoulders, at 6'2" he had a good eight inches on her.

"We look like twins again." He squeezed her arm, thinking it would make her happy.

"I don't want you to go." She sniffled as she buried her face in his shirt, hugging him tightly.

"I'm sorry Alice." He felt a lump begin to well up in his throat.

"Can I go with you?" She peered up at him, her usually vibrant green eyes were red, puffy and filled with unshed tears.

"Not this time Ally," He held back tears of his own at the sound of her childhood nickname crossing his lips.

"Will you at least tell Jasper where you're going so I don't worry?" She pleaded.

Edward nodded somberly.

"Can I talk to you alone for a sec?" Jasper was leaning tensely against the door frame.

Alice removed herself from Edward's hold, wiped her tears away and the bubbly mask she always wore returned. "Don't be mean." She poked Jasper square in the chest as she exited.

He grabbed her finger and kissed the tip of it, before smacking her ass on her way out the door.

"There's no way you'd reconsider?" He stayed put after Alice left the room.

Edward hopped up on the counter, "I just—" He buried his face in his hands, "I'm sorry."

"This is gonna kill her." His voice trembled slightly and Edward understood that Jasper loved Alice just as much as he did, but Edward knew her better, having 26 more years of experience dealing with her. She would survive.

"C'mon, you guys should be thrilled. You'll have the house to yourselves, although my room is still off limits." Edward tried to keep the situation light and refused to think about what he was doing, lest he change his mind.

"Fuck, Anthony. This is serious." Jasper growled, "I love Alice and I know how much she needs you. You should care a little more about the fact that the second you walk out that door her heart is going to break."

Edward sighed, "Jazz, it'll be so much worse if I stay here and let her watch me self-destruct."

Jasper ran his hand through his hair, knowing Edward was right. "You're gonna go see the cars aren't you?" He guessed correctly. When Edward didn't respond, he continued, "If won't lie to her if she asks me where you are."

"I'd never ask you to lie to her." Edward said defensively, "I just don't want Jane and the media finding out where I've gone."

Jasper nodded, but then a look of apprehension crossed his face, "They'll have a fucking field day when they realize you're gone and that you dropped out of all those movies."

"Good, let them." Edward scowled.

"Have you thought about how you're going to get there?" Leave it to Jasper to worry about the finer details, "If you book a flight, Jane will find out."

"I'm not flying. I'm driving." Edward jumped down from the counter.

"She can trace a rental car too, ya know." He said with concern.

"I have plenty of cash and accounts she doesn't know exist. I'll figure something out." Edward told him.

"You're really going to do this?" Jasper was still worried.

Even if the media found him, at least he'd have a break. He'd always wanted to take a road trip cross country and he missed the Midwest more than he wanted to admit. It was then that his mind was completely made up. Edward met Jasper's gaze and smiled as he said, "What have I got to lose?"


	2. Chapter 2: June 29

**June 29**

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_Dear Alice,_

_You know, it's funny, but this is about the tenth draft I've written of this letter. I scrapped the other ones because it kept sounding like I was dying or something and truly this isn't a good bye, but I felt like I owed you more of an explanation than I gave you and we both know I'm much better at communicating my feelings through writing rather than speaking. Speech was always your gift, little sis._

_I've been unhappy for quite some time. I don't know if you were too busy with Jasper, or if you did know and just tried not to think about it, because you had to have known there was nothing you could do to help me. Don't get me wrong; I don't blame you either way. I could never blame you, I adore you. But regardless, I just had to get out of Los Angeles._

_In reality, Jane's actions were merely the catalyst, but far from the cause for my departure and I will tell you again so you have it in writing that this is not your fault and there is nothing you could have done to prevent this. Even though there's a lot I regret from the last two years, I'll never regret moving with you because you needed me and you'd already sacrificed so much for me. I appreciate it more than you could ever know._

_Over the last few months, ever since the first movie came out, I just, well, I've been miserable. I hate who I've become and all I could think, every time I looked in the mirror was how disappointed Mom and Dad would have been if they were around to see what a wreck I've become. I can't even go outside without fearing a mob of women and paparazzi attacking me. There's nothing anyone can do to prepare you for fame and I'm afraid I'm just not cut out for that lifestyle._

_But I think leaving now is a good idea. Like I said, I don't have any future contractual obligations. To be completely honest with you, I'm kind of really excited. Thanks to your amazing work, nobody will recognize me and hopefully I can have some time alone to fly under the radar and write that novel I've been putting off for years. I was thinking about writing about this gorgeous, brilliant girl with a pain in the ass twin who inhibits her limitless talent. What do you think? I bet it'd be a best seller!_

_I'm a few hundred miles outside of L.A. and I miss you already. How pathetic is that? I do have a plan though, as I write this. Jasper knows how to get a hold of me in a pinch and I know he'll be there for everything else you need. Don't tell him I said so, but I wouldn't entrust your care to anyone else. The longest we've been apart was when you did that four week design internship in New York and we survived that. I know, barely, and you called every day, but if you really need me I'll always be there for you._

_I suppose I should get going. I'm attracting some very unwanted attention from a rather frightening looking trucker in the next stall over at this rest stop._

_Be strong for me Alice. Hold down the fort, keep Jasper in line and I swear to god, I will know if you have sex in my room._

_I love you more than anything Ally._

_Yours forever,_

_Anthony_

_P.S. I'm not kidding about my room. It's locked for a reason and I expect the house to remain just as spotless and sterile as it was when I left._

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Edward pulled to the side of the road as the smoke began to billow out from the hood of the car he purchased with cash just outside of Los Angeles. The 1984 Acura Legend previously belonged to a friend of Jasper's and got great gas mileage despite its age. Edward had initially been excited about the sun roof, but quickly found out that it wouldn't seal properly when a sudden down pour in Texas left him looking like a drowned rat.

But the car hadn't given him anymore trouble before the smoke and according to his GPS, he wasn't terribly far from Delta. The issue was that he was on a deserted highway in the middle of a state forest in Northern Wisconsin with no cell signal and no idea how to do anything but put oil in a car.

The past three days had been a bit of a blur, but thankfully Alice had thought to pack his camera, so he had plenty of photos to remind him of the grandeur of the country he had just crossed.

When he left Los Angeles as the first lights of dawn spilled over the horizon, he bid Jasper and Alice a tearful goodbye and feared he was making the wrong decision – that is, until he stopped for the first time in Arizona.

Edward adjusted his sunglasses and pulled a baseball cap with the Dodgers logo over his head, praying that nobody would recognize him. Carefully he got out of the car, pumped gas into the little sedan and nervously made his way into the station to pay, as he only had cash on him. He was sure at any moment some teen would jump out and attack him, or worse one of their mothers.

His face was on half the magazines and he thought surly he'd be done for when he approached the bored looking girl at the counter who was paging through the latest US Weekly and reading an article about his supposedly torrid affair with Victoria. Edward braced himself for an ear-splitting screech – but it never came.

"Thirty one, seventy five." She sighed and snapped her gum while she bagged the soda and food he purchased in addition to the gas.

Edward dug in his wallet and handed her a few bills. He waited patiently while she took her time gathering his change from the register and handed it back to him. As he walked back out to the little car, he couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to do something so normal without an audience of photographers or fans watching his every move.

He was thrilled.

And as he traversed the country on his way to Delta, the farther away he was from Los Angeles, the more comfortable he became. It was as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders and the fear and paranoia slowly began to melt away. He felt free and knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that he had made the right decision.

Well, until his car decided to crap out on him.

He burned his hand trying to open the hood, then stared at the smoking engine for a good twenty minutes before he realized he had no idea what he was looking for.

The humidity hung heavy in the air and the mosquitoes were eating him alive. "Not so smart anymore," he scowled to himself as he leaned up against the driver's side door and wiped the sweat from his brow.

Edward was considering walking, when he heard the distant sound of an engine approaching. And sure enough, a few minutes later a car rounded the bend.

But it wasn't just any car. It looked exactly like his dad's 1967 two-top convertible Corvette Roadster, with two exceptions: the car was Marina blue instead of black and it was running beautifully, not in pieces.

The car almost hit him as the driver zoomed around the corner past Edward, who was trying to flag the driver for a ride into town at the very least. As the car flew by, he thought maybe the driver hadn't seen him, until he heard the tires screech to a halt and sighed in relief as the car was thrown into reverse and stopped about 100 yards ahead of his vehicle.

Slowly the door opened and Edward felt his mouth gape, but was unable to shut it.

The woman driving the car was beautiful. And not fake, Hollywood beautiful, but girl next door gorgeous. Her mahogany hair had a natural wave and draped over her shoulders; her eyes were hidden from view by her sunglasses, but it was her pink pouty lips, placed just below her delicate nose, that Edward couldn't stop staring at.

Wearing a tight wife beater with a halter bikini top underneath, in the same color and short denim shorts that followed the curve of her backside perfectly, her pink plastic flip flops smacked against the asphalt as she approached him.

"Car trouble?" Her voice was sweet and friendly with a subtle Midwest twang that elongated her vowels ever so slightly.

"What?" Edward choked, embarrassed that he was so distracted by the girl.

She frowned infinitesimally and moved her shades from the bridge of her nose to the top of her head. Two deep chocolate eyes stared up at him dubiously.

"Are you having trouble with your car?" She said slowly, articulating the words.

Edward looked down at her, realizing how short she was for the first time, then he met her narrowed eyes and even though she was tiny in comparison, he had no desire to upset her.

"Uhh – yeah." He stuttered, taken back by his own awkwardness. It was as if he'd never spoken to a pretty girl before, even though he'd been propositioned by dozens.

"Where are you heading?" She glanced at the California plates.

"Oh – umm – Delta." He wiped more sweat from his forehead and tried not to picture what he was sure was a hot little body under what little clothing she was wearing. He wondered when he'd become such a pervert.

"Why Delta?" Her brow furrowed in suspicion.

"Business I guess – I'm meeting Hank Jenks." He scratched his head, "Are you from Delta? Do you know a guy who can fix this?"

Her eyes narrowed again and she folded her arms over her chest, "No, I don't know a guy who can fix it." She said almost too sweetly, but her sarcasm was lost on Edward as he still wasn't able to completely focus.

"Oh, that's okay. Would you mind giving me a ride into town?" He tried.

The girl's brow furrowed again and she let her arms drop to her sides as she huffed. Edward was unsure of what he'd done to upset her and he replayed their conversation in his head so he could apologize. Alice always told him to just apologize, even if he didn't know why.

Abruptly she turned and went to the front of the car, waving away the last of the lingering smoke as she leaned over the engine. Taking a band from around her wrist, she swept her hair up in a pony tail before she poked around a bit.

"How long have you been driving it?" She asked, still looking under the hood.

"Oh, I just bought it a few days ago." He muttered as his eyes moved from her ass and met her glare. Edward gulped and wisely decided to stare at the ground then.

"How long have you been driving her _today_?" The girl rolled her eyes.

Edward looked at his watch; he hadn't stopped once since he left his hotel that morning. "Like nine hours?" He replied in more of a question than an answer.

"You've had the air on the whole time?" She straightened up.

He met her gaze, "It's fucking hot out." He answered her question indirectly.

"You've over-heated." She said flatly, and Edward realized after a minute that she was referring to the car, "It should be fine now, but I wouldn't drive it any farther than Delta without letting it cool down for a while."

"Oh," Edward said, embarrassed that he wasn't able to determine the cause of the malfunction on his own, "Thanks." He gave her a small smile and moved to close the hood, but winced when the burned skin on his hand hit the warm metal. "Shit." He cursed and dropped the hood.

"Did you burn yourself?" The girl grabbed his hand, sending a spark of something Edward couldn't identify through his body as she examined his injury. Surely she had felt the current that ran through them, but she didn't alert him to the fact if indeed she had. Her own small hand had little smears of grease on the palm because of touching the engine, but it was soft and she handled the burn carefully.

Without warning, she dropped his hand and sprinted back to her car. She flung the driver's side door open, balancing one knee on the seat when the other was planted firmly on the pavement. Edward looked at the blister forming on his hand rather than her ass, afraid she'd catch him staring again.

He was yanked from his thoughts as she grabbed his hand again and began to apply a cool green gel over the small wound.

"It's just aloe; I sunburn easily, so I always keep sunscreen and aloe handy." Then she tied a white cloth handkerchief around his palm, "You should know better than to touch the hood of a car after it's been running for nine hours." She scolded.

Edward let out a soft chuckle, thinking the tiny girl would get along famously with Alice.

"Run it under cold water when you get to where you're going." She dropped his hand and walked behind Edward, leaning into the car, she successfully turned over the engine. "Just because I'm a girl, doesn't mean I don't know anything about cars." She said poignantly and Edward instantly understood why she'd been cross with him so quickly when they first met.

"Oh! No – I didn't –"

"Whatever," She cut him off, "You're welcome." She said after a beat. When Edward didn't respond, still reeling from what had just happened, she scowled inwardly before turning and walking back to the Corvette.

Edward snapped out of his daze as she reached her door, "Thank you!" He called to her.

She pivoted to give him one last look, "Gorgeous car, by the way!" Edward shouted and he could have sworn he saw the corner of her lips curl into a knowing smirk before she climbed into the car and sped away.

And just like that she was gone.

Edward shook is head, willing himself to forget what happened, but he was fascinated with the odd effect the short woman had on him.

He was closer to the town than he originally thought, though the term 'town' was a very loose interpretation of what Delta actually was. On one side of the highway was a retro looking restaurant, appropriately named 'Delta Diner' next to the diner was a small hut with a banner that said 'Taste Budz Coffee House.'

Opposite the diner and café was a longer building that hand three doors along the front. The door on the far right was open to the Delta Store, the middle door had a closed sign in the window, but the vertical sign on the building read 'BAR' in neon. The last door on the far left simply said 'Offices' and Edward assumed that was the place he was looking for.

Unsure of where to park, Edward merely pulled up in front of the building and turned off the car. He walked up to the door and knocked.

There was no answer, so he knocked again.

Nothing.

Taking a chance, he turned the handle, and surprisingly found it open. Inside the room was mildly dim as the overhead florescent lights were off, but the late afternoon sun filtered in through the windows along the wall. Three desks sat in the long room, but other than the furniture, it was empty. Regardless, Edward walked into the space to see if perhaps there was another office. He wished he had called ahead, as Mr. Jenks was not expecting him.

"He's not here." Came a familiar and mocking voice from behind him.

Edward spun around to find the girl leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, an eyebrow raised.

"I can see that." Edward said glibly before he could think about who he was speaking with.

"Fine, I won't tell you where he is." She disappeared from the doorway.

"Wait!" Edward called after her as he ran outside, "I'm sorry about before!" He yelled just as she was about to enter the general store.

She stopped with her back still facing Edward and he was wary of approaching her. "I really am sorry." He said, hoping it would appease her, as he moved closer.

Edward smiled when her shoulders relaxed and she slowly turned to face him before resting her hands on her hips. Without uttering a word, she removed one hand from her hip and pointed across the street to the diner.

Edward's eyes followed her finger and when he looked back to thank her, she had disappeared. A bewildered chuckled escaped his lips as he made his way across the street and tried to deny the fact that he hoped he'd see the brown-eyed girl again.

Walking into the Delta Diner for the first time was momentarily disarming. There were a total of six people in the small eatery and at the sound of the bell hitting the frame, when Edward opened the door, all six pairs of eyes were on him. It was an awkward feeling he had become accustomed to, but he realized in this situation they were ironically staring at him not because they knew him, but because they did not.

"Welcome to the Delta Diner." The older woman behind the counter broke the silence. Edward smiled at the woman, assuming her name was Nina because of the rectangular name badge pinned to her apron.

"Hi," Edward grinned broader, suddenly able to turn on the charm his alter ego was famous for, now that the stubborn girl was gone. "I'm looking for Hank Jenks. Do you know where I can find him?" He requested sweetly, shoving his hands in his jean pockets, causing the make-shift bandage on his hand to irritate his wound. He hoped the stance would make him appear less threatening.

He watched as the waitress, the cook behind her and the old man sipping coffee at the counter looked from Edward to the three men sitting at a booth in the far end of the restaurant.

"Hank, you got a visitor." Nina yelled, then turned around to face the cook, "Those hamburgers aren't gonna make themselves Todd." She clicked her tongue and refilled the cup in front of the man at the counter.

Edward made his way to the back booth, still under the scrutiny of all six people, "Hank?" He questioned as he approached the table.

The oldest gentleman at the table, who couldn't have been over sixty, met Edward's gaze, "What can I do for you?" He took a sip of his coffee.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your lunch. I'm Edward Cullen, we spoke on the phone a few days ago about the cars." Again Edward spoke softly to show the men that they were in charge.

Hank's eyes lit up in surprise and in a bit of a stunning move, to Edward at the very least, he stood up suddenly and shook his hand. "Hi, it's nice to meet you!" Hank beamed, "I thought you said you wouldn't be able to visit." He continued to shake Edward's hand, then looked down, embarrassed that he'd forgotten to let go, "Have a seat!" Hank motioned to the empty bench and moved aside to let Edward slide in. "Nina, tell Todd to put another burger on." He craned his neck to catch the waitress' attention. She waved her hand, letting him know she heard him.

"This is Sheriff Buddy and Ranger Emmett." He motioned to the two middle-aged men across the table who could have been brothers, as they both had muscular builds beneath their uniforms and the same set of dimples, though Buddy was bald on top and his skin a bit more weathered than Emmett, whose dark curly hair was cropped closely to his head. They both grunted in approval after Hank introduced them.

"So what brings you into town?" He asked excitedly, "I've got Ms. Swan working on the inventory of the cars for you." Hank added quickly, hoping that Edward didn't come because he hadn't gotten back to him quickly enough. In such a small town, Hank didn't have a lot of work to do, so he prided himself on getting things finished in a timely manner when he did.

"Oh, no. I just decided I needed a break from my job and I haven't seen the cars in so long, so I thought this would be the perfect place to take a vacation." Edward explained.

"Do your folks know you're up here?" Buddy asked suspiciously.

Edward frowned, "Oh, umm, they passed away a few years ago." He swallowed hard.

The three men stared at him blankly, obviously unaware of their deaths.

"I'm sorry," He turned toward Hank, "I thought, you knew that's why I'd been having trouble locating the cars. My dad moved them before he updated his will with the new location." Edward felt awkward and his chest tightened, wondering how well the men knew his parents.

"I'm so – sorry." Buddy stuttered. "I didn't know."

"It's okay, I'm sorry you had to find out this way." Edward offered.

"Ms. Swan'll be devastated." Hank muttered, but Edward ignored the comment, instead wondering if it'd be rude to ask about his parents.

"Did you all know them well?" Edward asked quietly.

"Well enough," Emmett spoke for the first time. "They were good people, kept to themselves, but gave a lot to the community. Everyone appreciated their help." He said reverently.

"Their help?" Edward questioned.

"They helped a lot of people in Delta; heck, the diner and the store wouldn't be here without them." Buddy explained, "Your parents loved it here, especially your mom, so she always made sure everyone was well taken care of."

Edward smiled sadly, his mother was extremely kind and there wasn't a day that went by that he didn't miss her.

"When did it happen – if you don't mind me asking?" Hank fidgeted nervously.

"Almost three years ago, it was a car crash." Edward told them, knowing they'd ask how.

The three of them lowered their heads in silent contemplation, uncomfortable looking Edward in the eyes.

"They were in and out of touch through the years, so none of us assume anything was wrong; we knew how busy they were and there are plenty of empty vacation homes on the lakes up here that rarely get used." Hank frowned, obviously guilty that none of them had thought to worry about his parents.

"It's alright. I didn't even know about the house. My sister and I were very busy in college, so my parents started traveling a lot." He tried to make them feel better about their unintentional negligence.

Nina had perfect timing and arrived with their food just when the topic of conversation was getting stale.

"Nina, this is Edward, Carlisle and Esme's boy." Hank told the waitress as she set the plates down on the table.

"Well, it's nice to have a Cullen back in town. Tell your folks I say hi," She smiled, ignorant of their earlier discussion, "You want something to drink?"

"Water's fine, thank you." He waved her away and she seemed pleased that he was low-maintenance and polite.

Edward listened to Hank, Buddy and Emmett prattle on about town affairs while he enjoyed his delicious burger and fries. He sighed in content, feeling like he was at home in the Midwest. There wasn't a burger joint in the whole of California that could hold a candle to the food he ate at the Delta Diner that day. In fact, beside the snippy little thing he'd met, things were going rather well.

He stayed to listen to the three men continue to banter and he left when they did, leaving a large tip for Nina, but warily hiding the cash from the three men, lest they make some sort of judgment based on his generosity.

Hank explained to Edward how to get to the house and told him the entire property was 20 acres with it's own private lake, and of course the hanger where the cars were stored.

Edward nervously bid the men farewell, knowing he was going to get lost trying to find the house. Hank made it sound like it was hidden in the backwoods. He missed the turn off for the gravel road that led to the house two times, but spotted it on his third pass. Thankfully Hank told him if he passed a second deer crossing sign, he'd gone too far on Scenic Drive.

He felt every single bump and divot in the road due to the crap suspension in his car. At one point he stopped to admire a view of the lake through a clearing. The place was beautiful and he hoped it would inspire him to write, as he hadn't been able to pen a single word since his parents died.

Pulling up in front of the house, Edward was truly in awe. By no means was it a house; it looked more like a manor, save for its contemporary architecture. The house had white siding with navy shutters and a brown roof. It stood three stories tall, with a beautiful wrap-around porch.

Edward put the car in park and took his time gathering his bags from the trunk. However, as he made his way toward the steps at the front of the house, he heard leaves rustling and branches snapping before the sounds of snarling and barking scared him into dropping the bags in the driveway.

He was frozen as he watched a wolf barrel around the side of the house, heading strait for him. Edward's eyes widened and he braced himself too late as the wolf leapt on top of him and sending him flying backwards, splayed on the ground.


	3. Chapter 3: June 29 cont

**June 29 cont.**

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* * *

**

_Dear Jasper,_

_Delta is amazing._

_I wish you and Alice could see how beautiful it is here. I've included photos, but they barely do this place justice. It's unbelievable. The house is huge(it's got five bedrooms and bathrooms), there's a private lake with a dock and a boat house.  
_

_I know it's a little soon, but you and Alice should really consider visiting. If you ever man up and make an honest woman out of my sister you might think about having the wedding here. There's a little diner that makes some seriously killer food and I know they'd love the business, so think about it._

_The drive here was amazing. Do you have any idea how beautiful this country is? Your friend's car worked out perfectly, so please be sure to thank him again for me. I can't even begin to describe the feeling of freedom I have here. Not a single person has recognized me and it's so refreshing. I feel like myself again._

_The people in Delta have been really welcoming, well, except for this one woman, kind of…never mind. Anyway, they all knew my parents I guess and according to Hank, the lawyer we talked to about the cars, the house used to belong to my mom's great uncle or something random, so that's why Alice and I never knew about it. I guess she used to come here when she was a little girl._

_I can't seem to get over the peace and quiet and beauty of the nature up here. I just wanted you and Alice to know I'm doing well and I miss you both, but I'm enjoying myself so far._

_Send Alice my love,_

_Anthony_

_

* * *

_

Edward thought for sure when that huge wolf jumped on him, he was done for. He tumbled backwards when the animal tackled him, thinking of what the headlines would say when – scratch that – _if_ they found his body. But as he waited for the monster to sink its fangs into his jugular, instead a large, wet tongue began to rake over his face, knocking his glasses off in the process.

"Jake!" He heard a woman's voice yell from behind the house. He tried to push the wolf off him, to no avail. "JAKE!" The girl's voice came again.

Edward turned his head to the side and tried to free his arms from underneath the dog's enormous paws. He had just managed to release his right arm when he saw _her_ emerge from the backyard.

It struck Edward that this scene was like something out of a movie as the same short girl came running toward him, dripping wet and clad only in her small white bikini. She was a vision and Edward used every trick he could think of not to stare at her exposed skin, knowing it would only trigger a less than desirable reaction from his body.

"Oh," She stopped about twenty feet from Edward as she realized who her dog had attacked, "It's you." She said disdainfully.

"A little help here!" Edward grumbled, still trying to shove the wolf off him.

She sighed, then snapped her fingers and said, "Jake, come."

The dog's head snapped to meet her gaze and she forcefully repeated her command, "COME."

Immediately the dog bounded over to the girl and sat down at her right side, "Good boy." She patted his head then looked at Edward, who had raised himself to his elbows and stared back at her in confusion, "What are you doing here?" Her brow furrowed.

"I could ask you the same thing." He sat up and brushed the dirt off his clothes.

"I _live_ here." She snapped.

"What?" Edward gawked, "This is my house."

"Excuse you." Her hands went to her hips again and for a brief moment Edward feared her wrath.

However, this was a matter he couldn't back down from, "I said, this house belongs to _me_." He stood then and took a step forward, but halted when a low growl escaped the dog.

"This house belongs to Carlisle and Esme Cullen." She sneered defiantly.

Edward realized his mistake, "I know that," he shook his head, "They're my parents."

The girl's eyes went wide and she visibly gulped, embarrassed at the way she had been treating the son of two people she respected above anyone else, "Anthony?" She questioned timidly, briefly displaying her vulnerability.

He nodded and ran his hand through his hair, still surprised by the absence of his golden locks, "I'm going by Edward now," he took a step forward again and thrust his hand toward the girl, "Miss Swan I presume?" Hank had made mention of her several times and at the time, he thought she was merely helping him inventory the cars, but now it seemed she was much more involved.

"Isabella – err, Bella." The girl closed the distance between them and took his hand in her own though it was just as damp as the rest of her body. Realizing her state of undress she quickly withdrew her hand, "I was just taking a swim in the lake." She muttered an excuse, "He didn't hurt you did he?" She asked nervously.

"Who?" Edward had been too focused on not looking at her chest to follow her rambling.

"Jake…" She looked down at the dog as he happily panted, laying on the grass at Bella's bare feet. "He's all bark, but a little too overly enthusiastic with visitors."

"No, just gave me a scare." He said awkwardly, "He's some welcome wagon."

She nodded distractedly, "Are you here for the cars?" She blurted out after a moment, "Is your dad moving them?"

'She doesn't know,' Edward thought and he remembered Hank said she'd be upset. He decided to wait to say anything.

"No – I just wanted to see them." He told her.

"And that's why you're here?" She was very inquisitive.

"Kind of, I needed a vacation and I figured… it doesn't matter." Edward trailed off, and then a thought struck him, "Was that my dad's Roadster you were driving earlier?"

She looked like a kid who'd been caught with their hand in the candy jar, "He gave me permission." She said quickly.

"No," He waved his hand quickly, trying to avoid another misunderstanding, "It's just, it's blue."

"Marina blue," She interrupted him.

"What?"

"It's Marina blue." She said again.

"But it used to be black." Edward said.

"Your dad had it painted; that was the original color." She offered, still waiting for him to yell at her for driving an expensive car that did not belong to her.

"It was also totaled the last time I saw it." He explained further.

"I fixed it." She said quietly.

"What?" He felt like a broken record.

"I fixed it – your dad let me fix it." She said. And when Edward still looked confused and hadn't said anything, she became angry with his silence. "What? You don't think a girl can fix cars?""

"NO!" He shouted, "I believe you. I'm sure you're a great mechanic." He tried to sort out why the girl constantly made him so flustered; the feeling was foreign.

They stared at each other for a while. Both of them unsure of what to say next.

"Will you show me the house?" Edward finally asked.

Bella's eyes fell to the ground and she sighed, "Yeah," she turned and walked away with Jake on her heels. When she realized Edward wasn't following behind her, she craned her neck around and said, "Stop looking at my ass and get over here."

Edward almost choked, but said nothing as he jogged to her side, "I wasn't –"

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes.

She pointed out the large private lake when they rounded the corner, not that Edward would have missed it. Bella explained that there was a fishing boat in the boat house and that she put the dock out each Memorial day and took it in on Labor day. There were lots of fish in the lake, but mostly perch and blue gills.

"Your dad claims he caught a ten pound bass once, but said it got away. Esme and I were positive he was making it up and I've never seen any bass in that lake." Bella prattled mindlessly and seemed almost bored with herself. But Edward was fascinated.

He hung on her every word, not only observing the sway of her hips as she walked and her lean arm muscles as she pointed to different places around the property, but her stories about his parents and the reverent, yet intimate way she spoke of them immediately garnered his attention. It was painfully clear that they adored her and she felt the same in return. But hearing her refer to them so casually broke his heart, not only because he missed them terribly, but because he knew he'd have to tell her they were gone – and soon. In fact, the longer they walked around, the more uncomfortable he became with that knowledge and he feared she may never forgive him for not telling her right away. For some inexplicable reason, at least to Edward anyway, he desperately wanted Bella to like him.

Lost in thought, Edward suddenly came to the realization that they were standing in front of a large building that resembled a barn, but was silver, not red.

"So this is the hanger. Carlisle spared no expense. It's got a security system and the room is climate controlled and hermetically sealed so the Wisconsin weather won't hurt the cars." She fiddled with an outdoor keypad mounted on the wall and slide the door open.

At the sight of the cars Edward had searched for, for so long, all the good memories associated with his parents, the car shows, the road trips with his dad – they all came flooding back.

Slowly he made his way through the rows of cars, feeling the need to lightly trail his fingers along the hood of the '65 GTO with blue and silver cobweb paint and the red '66 Chevy II Nova; his dad called that one the 'Red Baron' and they always listened to a Kansas 8-Track when they drove it – Point of No Return was his dad's favorite.

Not all of the cars were muscle cars – Edward always laughed when he caught sight of the orange Opal Cadet that he and Alice called the pumpkin car because it had black interiors as well – but each vehicle meant something to his dad and sometimes for his mom as well. They all had a story, like the '66 Chevelle SS called 'The Rat' that never lost a drag race his dad was challenged to in his youth or the '66 El Camino that his dad paid $150 for and completely restored with his best friends Matt and Bobby. The local garage owner was so impressed with their devotion to the project that he did the paint job for free; but it wasn't just any paint job, it was green metallic John Forseth pin-striped. The only word his dad could say about that car was 'Awesome.'

Edward eventually made it to the back of the hanger and consequently the Corvette Roadster.

"She's my favorite." Bella said quietly as she observed Edward while he walked around the convertible.

"I can't believe you rebuilt it – not because you're a girl." He was quick to defend himself, "It's just, I saw it after he rolled it and I thought…" Edward trailed off, thinking about the night he and Alice came home for winter break and saw it in the garage. Their mom had mentioned something about an accident, but their dad had been fine, miraculously really, given the state of the car. Even though his dad couldn't fix it, and no mechanic wanted to take on the project, he couldn't bare to get rid of it and he always felt his mom let him keep it around as a reminder – well, that and she couldn't really say no to his dad when it came to those cars.

"You're gonna take them, aren't you?" Bella folded her arms over her chest and waited for her world to collapse around her, as if it hadn't already.

Edward looked at her then – really looked at her. He studied her big brown eyes and the pretty heart shaped face that didn't need a touch of make up. Her pink lips were poised in a frown and she almost looked as if she was waiting to be hit.

"Bella," He searched her eyes for recognition, "I promise you, as long as these cars belong to me, they will be here in Delta, under your care." Edward was completely sincere in his conviction and he hoped she knew that.

"Thank you." She refused to look him in the eyes as the words escaped her lips.

"Let's go inside; I'm dying to see the house." Edward smiled, easing the tension. As they proceeded back through the hanger, he held the door open for her, but made the mistake of brushing his fingertips over the small of her back when he escorted her out. Not only was the electric current Edward had felt earlier, still very present, but he immediately knew she felt it too. The instant his warm hand came into contact with her soft skin, she froze and Edward knew he made a big mistake. His hand fell limply to his side and he uttered a quick apology before shutting the door, hoping Bella didn't think he was coming on to her.

Much to Edward's relief, when he finished closing the door, Bella was already on her way back toward the house. "I'm sorry the grass out here isn't trimmed, Carlisle told me not to worry about it, so I just mow the front and a bit in the back by the dock."

Edward followed Bella wordlessly around the front of the house. She stopped on the porch, just short of the screen door and knelt down to pick up a rag, "Jake." She called the wolf closer and he took his time walking to her; he had been in the lake while Edward and Bella visited the cars. Bella dried him as best she could and then inspected each paw, looking for mud.

"He looks like a wolf." Edward said as she cleaned him.

"He is." She grabbed another paw, "Your mom found him with a broken leg as a pup and the ranger said we could keep him after we nursed him back to health, because he was too domesticated by then." Bella stood up.

"I bet my mom spoiled him rotten." Edward laughed. "I'm surprised she kept him though; my sister and I never had a pet growing up… well, unless you count all the goldfish she killed…"

Bella laughed then and held the door open for Jake and Edward, "I think they kept him because they knew how much I fell in love with him while we took care of him and they figured I'd feel safer when I'm here alone in the off-season."

"Do you?" Edward wondered.

Bella looked down at Jake, who was gazing up at her in adoration, "Maybe, if it was possible to lick someone to death." She raised an eyebrow at the dog, as if to question his ferocity, then looked up at Edward and said, "But he makes for good company."

Gracefully, she moved out of the foyer and into a sitting room, where Edward was surprised to see a baby grand piano amongst the chaise lounge and various other decadent furniture pieces. His mother had encouraged him to play piano, and he was indeed quite talented. However, he hated to play; he would have much rather listened to her play than do so himself. And she did play for him a lot, in fact that was when he wrote some of his best stuff. However he hadn't heard her play in years. It was one of the things he missed most about her and he couldn't hear Moonlight Sonata without tearing up a bit.

Through another door, they entered a huge kitchen, complete with an island, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.

Bella disappeared through a small doorway to his right and when he peaked in, he realized it was the laundry room and she was just throwing the muddy towel in the wash. She turned quickly and started when she saw Edward in the doorway.

"Did you want something to eat?" She bristled as she walked past him, seemingly unnerved by his presence in the house she rightfully called her home.

Edward sensed her displeasure and followed her into the kitchen further, which granted him a view of the sun patio and breakfast nook at the back of the house.

"No thanks, I just want to see the rest of the house, if that's okay." Again Edward found himself avoiding looking at her body while she made her way through the kitchen as if she belonged there.

"Suit yourself." There was a slight edge to her voice, "There's a half bath through the laundry room and Carlisle turned the basement into a games room." She said as they walked past the sun room and into the formal dining room. "I don't think anyone's eaten here since your parents got the place; they always ate in the kitchen." She said in a bored monotone as they had finished a circuit of the first floor.

Edward inhaled sharply as he was momentarily transfixed by the sway of her bare hips again, while she ascended the stairs and he wasn't sure if he wanted her to put more clothes on or keep parading around in a swim suit. Though he definitely knew what decision certain parts of his body would make.

Rather than stay on the second floor, she turned a corner and walked up a second flight of stairs to the third level where there were only two doors at the landing. "This is the master." She opened the door and let Edward wander in, though she didn't cross the threshold, "But your parents stayed in one of the larger rooms on the second floor, so nobody's lived up here for a while." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's awfully big, even for two people." Edward remarked as he walked into the room, taking note of the giant California King sleigh bed and the fireplace situated across the room, as well as the seating area and vanity space. The walk-in closet was almost as big as the bathroom, which was complete with a steam shower and claw footed tub. "This is all so unnecessary." Edward muttered to himself at the decadence.

When Edward came back into the room, Bella pushed off the door and he eagerly followed her into the hallway as she opened the other door, "This is my favorite room." She said quietly, almost willing him not to hear the admission. But the moment Edward got a view inside the room, he understood her sentiments. Floor to ceiling bookshelves lined the practically windowless room, "It's the study." She bit her bottom lip nervously.

"Wow." Edward breathed as he tried to take in the size of the room and the volumes of literature it held. At the far end of the room was a large mahogany desk, situated by the only bay window that had a perfect view of the lake and backyard. Edward turned around to find Bella in the doorway, "I think it's my favorite too." He smiled at her, hoping she'd warm up to him.

Bella frowned and turned to walk down the stairs, Edward scrambled to follow her, wondering how it was possible that he had upset her yet again.

Edward caught up with Bella on the stairs and realized that Jake hadn't followed them up the second flight of stairs, but was waiting impatiently for them on the landing. "He's not allowed on the 3rd floor because of the hardwood in the study." Bella answered Edward's unspoken question.

"The sides are mirror images of each other. There's one bathroom on either side," She flicked on the light in an empty bathroom and gave him a moment to peak inside before she moved on, "There's a larger bedroom," she turned on the light in the next room, "This is where your parents stayed."

Edward lingered there for a moment longer, making a mental note to go through the room at a later date and see if they had left anything behind.

Bella had already turned the light on in the next room, which was a bit smaller, then rounded the corner where she showed him an identical bathroom, although there was evidence of her inhabiting the space because of the towels hung on the racks and the few soaps and lotions on the counter. The next room was again larger, except the color scheme was blue instead of green, as his parent's room had been.

Bella paused for a moment before she flipped the light in the final, smaller bedroom, "And this is my room," she said nervously as she hesitantly entered.

The first thing that struck Edward about the space was how clean it was, but the second thing was that it looked just like the other rooms – as if it hadn't been lived in for a while.

Edward thought of Alice's room at the house they had grown up in and even the room she shared with Jasper in L.A.; it wasn't that she was messy, but her crap was all over the place. She had photos of friends up, posters of her favorite movies and countless other knick-knacks she had acquired since they were kids. But there was nothing in Bella's room to show that she lived there. Edward knew she had been in Delta for at least three years, and yet she could walk away and nobody would ever know she had been there at all.

He watched her move to the dresser and root around in a drawer before she pulled on a pair of jeans, much to Edward's dismay and after looking in a second drawer, threw a t-shirt over her head. Both items looked old and extremely well worn.

When Bella turned around, again she was startled to find Edward watching her from outside the room, afraid to enter her space.

"I don't have much, if I can just stay the night, I'll be gone tomorrow." She said with a melancholy lilt to her voice.

"Excuse me?" Edward was completely bewildered by her tone and wondered why she'd be going anywhere.

"Well, fine." She huffed, "I'll just stay with Rose and come back tomorrow to pack up my stuff." Her jaw was clenched and for the umpteenth time that day, Edward honestly felt frightened by the girl.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding." Edward shook his head defensively.

"Listen," She pointed her finger at him accusingly. "Just because you're rich, doesn't mean you get to be jerk." She barked, "I have every right to pack my things."

"Bella—" He tried to get her attention.

"You can't just kick me out without my stuff." She continued to rant.

"BELLA." He said more forcefully and finally her eyes snapped to his, "I'm not kicking you out." He said firmly as he searched her face for some sort of emotion to alert him to her reaction.

"What?" She blurted out, taken aback.

"This is your home; I have no intention of making you leave. If you don't want me here, then _I'll_ go." He tried to make her understand he wasn't the enemy.

"What?" She repeated herself in confusion.

Edward took a chance and crossed the room toward her, "You've met my parents," he explained, "Do you really think they'd be capable of raising such a cold-hearted son?" Edward inquired.

"No," she breathed, suddenly embarrassed by her outburst as her eyes fell to the ground.

"Is it okay if I stay here?" He asked calmly, still several feet from her.

Her eyes darted to his briefly before they fell to the floor again, "This house belongs to _your_ family, not me."

Edward took a deep breath, trying to wrap his mind around her bi-polar behavior, "That might be true, but you were here first and if I make you uncomfortable, I'll gladly leave." He said quietly in an attempt to comfort her.

"No – you can stay." She swallowed hard and bit her lip again.

"Thank you," He smiled softly.

Immediately her mood shifted to the confident woman he had been with only moments earlier, "I do laundry on Mondays," She brushed past him and turned off the light on her way out, leaving him in the dim light from the sun setting outside her window.

"The sheets are changed Tuesday, I vacuum and dust on Wednesday and get groceries on Thursday." She prattled as Edward and Jake followed her down the stairs.

"So, let me know by tomorrow morning if you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions." She glanced wistfully at the piano before walking into the kitchen.

"Normally, I clean the floors and windows on Fri—"

"Stop." Edward said suddenly. She turned to face him, anger evident on her delicate features. He quickly tried to diffuse the situation before she made anymore false assumptions, "I don't expect you to do any of those things."

"Your parents pay me to take care of the house and whoever may be staying here." She said matter-of-factly.

"But I don't." He told her. Edward didn't want Bella to feel obligated to do anything for him; he felt he was imposing on her enough, "I can cook my own food and I'm perfectly capable of leaning up after myself." He explained, hoping his words might make her hate him a little less.

"Too bad. I'm going to do it." She stared at him defiantly.

That certainly wasn't the reaction Edward was expecting. He sighed, disappointed that his self-sufficiency didn't please her and seemed to only add fuel to the fire, "We'll see."

"No. We won't." She dared him to challenge her. "It's my job and I wouldn't feel right staying here if I didn't do what they asked me to." Her jaw was set and he knew it was no use to argue with her.

"You're awful persnickety, aren't you?" He said with chagrin as he took a seat across from her on a stool at the breakfast bar.

"There's nothing wrong with being persnickety." She scoffed.

Edward let out a frustrated chuckle, "No. There isn't."

Bella leaned back against the counter, "I just wish your parents told me you were coming; I could have at least had dinner and a room ready." She said to herself as she scratched Jake's head.

"I don't suppose they could have." Edward said.

Bella eyed him speculatively.

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but…" Edward took a moment to compose himself and stared at the granite counter rather than Bella, "They passed away." He told her.

Edward heard a small gasp and when he looked up he saw that Bella's face had visibly paled and tears were welling up in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered.

"How?" She breathed.

"It was a car accident." He swallowed hard, trying to make the lump in his throat go away. The feeling of dread sat in his stomach like it had the night he'd gotten the call from the police. And it wasn't so much fear of life without his parents, though that scared him as well, but he had no idea how to tell his sister what happened. In that moment, as he watched Bella hold back sobs and take in what he had just told her – he felt the same.

"When?" She choked out and was quick to wipe away the tears rolling down her cheeks, not wanting Edward to see a chink in her armor.

"That's the thing…" He sighed again, knowing there was no delicate way to tell her, "It happened three years ago."

"What!?" Bella shouted in disbelief.

"Aunt Bella!" A little girl, no older than four or five came barreling into the kitchen, shocking Edward and leaving Bella speechless as she bent down with her arms open for the girl with curly blonde pig tails, bounding toward her. Bella scooped up the little girl and held her close.

Edward was at a loss.

"Bells?" Another female voice called from the foyer.

"I'm in the kitchen." Bella responded to the woman as if nothing was wrong, "How are you today Miss Vera?" Bella said animatedly to the girl in her arms.

"Can I play Wii?" Vera struggled to get out of Bella's arms.

"Sure, be careful going down the stairs." Bella set her on the ground and she scampered toward the basement.

Just as Vera disappeared down the stairs, a strikingly beautiful and fit woman, who Edward assumed was in her early thirties walked in to the kitchen, holding hands with a toddler and carrying another small child. Both with the same blonde curls as Vera.

"Hi Chuck." Bella waved to the toddler, "Vera's downstairs with the Wii. I bet she'll play the racing game with you if you ask nicely."

A brilliant smile lit the boy's face before he released his mother's hand and followed his sister's path.

"He's gone." The woman said melodramatically as she handed her youngest son to Bella, so she could refasten her thick blonde hair into a ponytail.

"Who?" Bella asked as her eyes followed the woman, while she made her way to the fridge.

"I mean, I never thought he'd actually leave, but he's gone." She huffed, pulling out a water bottle.

"Emmett?" Bella's brow furrowed.

"Oh – yeah, Emmett left me." The woman rolled her eyes sarcastically, "As if." She laughed, bringing the water bottle to her lips.

"Rose, who are you talking about?" Bella asked, exasperated. The little boy squirmed in her arms, trying to reach out to Jake. "Play nice Dave." Bella cooed as she set him on his feet, watching him as he wobbled a bit before steadying himself and he began to pet the dog reverently.

"Duh!" Lucy guffawed, "Anthony Masen."

Edward froze.

"Oh Jesus." It was Bella's turn to roll her eyes.

"The press release said he's in rehab, but someone on one of my boards knows someone who works at the facility where they 'claim' he is and he is _not_ there." She stared at Bella and placed her hands on her hips.

Edward looked between the two women and felt like he couldn't breathe when Rose's gaze slowly moved sideways as she realized she and Bella were not alone. "Who are you?" She blinked at him. "You look _really_ familiar… do I know you?"

"Anthony Cullen." Bella said quickly.

"It's Edward." He corrected her immediately, praying to god that Rose didn't recognize him, especially since Bella had used his nickname. He extended his hand over the counter, not wanting to incur the wrath of the equally frightening woman.

Rose looked at his hand, then looked at Bella, "Is he related to Carlisle and Esme?" She asked.

Edward answered, "I'm their son." At the same time that Bella replied, "He's their son."

They stared at each other for a moment before Bella said, "He was just leaving to get his stuff from the car."

Edward stayed frozen until Bella glared at him and he realized she wanted him to leave. "Oh." He said abruptly and stood, "Yeah." Awkwardly he bolted from the room and out to the car.

The humidity outside seemed even worse since he had just come from the air conditioned house. He grabbed as much as he could in one trip and made his way back to the house. He tried to be quiet when he re-entered, but the door smacked against the wall as it swung open and the voiced of the two women were silenced when they heard his loud entry.

"Sorry," He yelled to nobody in particular and made slow progress up the stairs. Once at the landing he realized he had a choice to make. He knew immediately upon seeing the enormous master suite on the third floor that he didn't want to stay in the room.

So that left three rooms on the second floor. His parent's room was out of the question, it was just too weird. So did he take the small room on the opposite side of the floor, or the large room, right next to Bella? Despite her claims, he knew she was uncomfortable around him, but selfishly, he really wanted to stay in the larger room.

Edward walked toward her room and was momentarily tempted to snoop, which caught him off guard, as he very much respected the privacy of others because his had been violated so often. He stood in front of the door, which was ajar and saw that it could be locked from the inside; so that decided him.

He picked up his bags and moved them into the room next to Bella's, thinking to himself that he would use the other bathroom so he'd stay out of her way and if she really felt the need, she could lock her bedroom door. Other men may not have understood, but Alice had explained to him plenty of times the thought process girls go through regarding strange men. Edward knew he'd never do anything to hurt Bella, frankly he was scared of her, but she didn't know that.

It took him two more trips to bring in the rest of his belongings in from the car and he was contemplating where to begin when he heard an annoyed sigh from the doorway. He turned.

"You have the whole house and you pick—" Bella stopped herself, "Never mind." She took a deep breath, "Dinner will be ready in an hour. I'm making lasagna." She gritted her teeth and stomped down the stairs before Edward had a chance to respond.

* * *

**AN:** I have a photo of the Roadster up on my profile. My dad owned all the cars mentioned in this fic at one point or another in his life.


	4. Chapter 4: July 2

**July 2**

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_Dear Alice,_

_It's not often that I ask for your advice, and I realize as I'm writing this that you don't even have a phone number to contact me, but maybe by just writing this, it will help me work some things out._

_You deal with a lot of difficult people in your line of work and for the last three years, save for you and Ben, not a single person has so much as uttered the word 'no' to me._

_This is going to sound like a line, and I swear that it isn't, but there's this girl… let me be very forth right in telling you that I am not attracted to this woman – okay, that's a lie, she's very beautiful, but I have absolutely no intention of trying to start any sort of romantic relationship with her. But the fact is, without giving you too many details, I have to deal with her every day and I'm at my wit's end trying to figure her out._

_I don't think she's ever given me a chance, so it's no surprise that she seems to hate me. She shoots daggers at me whenever I'm in the same room as her, refuses to acquiesce to my attempts at conversation and gets genuinely upset when I try to help her. I would consider giving up and chalking her up as a lost cause, but I just can't. Not only would ignoring her be childish and petty because of the large amount of time we are forced to spend together, but I can't seem to lose hope._

_I get these tiny glimpses of the person she is behind the scary mask and I really want to know that girl. Plus, I probably shouldn't tell you this, and I hope it doesn't upset you, but she knew Mom and Dad. I really don't know why she dislikes me, but I'm hoping you can help me figure out some way to show her I'm not the asshole she thinks I am, or at the very least find out why she has such a negative opinion of me. I just want to be her friend Alice. But everything I do to make it better, only makes it worse._

_I'm clueless. Please, help me out. I'm begging you._

_In other news, maybe coming to this particular place in July wasn't the best idea. It's muggy as hell, the mosquitoes are bigger than birds and there's not a heck of a lot to do here. So, yes, the novelty has worn off, but I'd still rather be here than in L.A. dealing with Jane's bullshit._

_I miss you Ally and there's so much of Mom and Dad here that it's overwhelming. Nobody here knew they passed away, so having to tell them and seeing their grief is like rubbing salt in an open wound. But I see why they liked it here and nobody has a single bad thing to say about them; in fact, everyone's been quite devastated to hear about the accident. It baffles me how they could have had such a profound effect on this community, yet, word of their death never made it here._

_Also, I should tell you that I've seen the cars and not only are they even more perfect than I remember, but they're being well taken care of. You'll be beyond shocked when you see the Roadster._

_Give Jasper my regards and like I've said before, he knows how to get a hold of me in a pinch. I might try calling in a few days too._

_I love you, _

_Anthony_

_

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_

There was no winning when it came to Bella.

When Edward tried to help with her chores or cooking, she became livid. Bella saw him playing fetch with Jake in the backyard on Tuesday, muttered 'traitor' under her breath and stomped off into the house. He ran into her in the hallway Wednesday morning on the way back to his room from the bathroom and she almost body-checked him into the wall.

Edward did his best to tread lightly around the girl, but constantly felt like if he even breathed in her direction, she'd tear his head off. But the most nerve wracking thing was that she never said a word to him, only mumbled what he was sure were obscenities under her breath.

Each day she made breakfast at nine, lunch at one and dinner by six. He'd seen her cooking, but got the hint, via her death glares, that she didn't like him watching her. So instead he'd wait until he heard her bedroom door shut, before going downstairs and eating alone. It was a rather miserable experience, but every time Edward tried to say something or apologize unnecessarily, either Bella would walk away or he couldn't find the words he needed ended up babbling nonsense.

On Thursday he ignored her silent protests when she returned from Ashland with a car full of groceries. He met her outside, having heard the truck from down the road. She got out of the driver's seat, honestly stunned to see him. Bella watched him approach her, waiting for him to tell her off or say he decided to leave and take the cars with him, or worse… kick her out.

But Edward didn't do any of those things. He gave her a weak smile, not bothering to make eye contact, and opened the tailgate before gathering as many bags as he could fit in his arms. Her jaw clenched as she moved in front of him, blocking his path to the door.

Edward stopped and looked down at her over the bags, "I don't care." He answered the anger on her face. "My mother raised me to be a gentleman, so move aside, please." And though it wasn't a request, Bella didn't budge, "Fine." Edward said and sidestepped her quickly so she didn't have a chance to stop him. "I'm gonna help you whether you like it or not." He yelled over his shoulder, knowing it would most likely infuriate her more, but he didn't care. He refused to compromise his morals because she was stubborn.

She couldn't fault him for trying and his new plan was to kill her with kindness until she cracked. Edward was severely underestimating her determination, but witnessed it first hand when she practically stumbled into the kitchen juggling the remainder of the grocery bags from the car. "Oh for fuck's sake." Edward growled.

"Don't you dare swear in this house!" Bella's girlish voice boomed from behind the barrier of paper bags. Her tone stopped Edward dead in his tracks.

"And here I thought you'd gone mute." He mused, trying to take some of the bags from Bella.

"Get out of my kitchen." She commanded.

"It's _my_ kitchen." Edward finally succeeded in tearing two of the bags from Bella's grasp.

"You're right." She said angrily and practically threw the rest of the bags on the counter, "If you want to help, then _YOU_ put the food away!" She sneered and stormed out of the room.

"Wait! Bella!" Edward called after her, but knew better than to follow her, lest she shove him down the stairs. "I'm sorry!" He shouted through the front room. 'So much for killing her with kindness,' Edward thought depressingly.

He turned to face the mountain of bags and realized he didn't know where anything went. It took him a while, however, eventually he figured it out, but by then it was quarter after five and he decided to take a chance and make dinner for the both of them, himself. He figured he was already in the doghouse, so what did he have to lose? The problem was that besides microwavable food, the only thing Edward had mastered cooking was his mother's homemade macaroni and cheese.

Edward found what he needed and set to work making the comfort food his mom used to make once a week and was his second favorite meal next to her spaghetti and meatballs, though he had given up trying to replicate the old family marinara recipe.

He finished cooking just before six. Happy with the food's outcome, he grabbed a beer from the fridge, Miller of course, since they were in Wisconsin and served himself, deciding to eat at the breakfast bar so he wouldn't miss Bella when she arrived.

But Bella never came down from her room. Two hours and three beers later, Edward slid off the stool, put away the leftovers and cleaned his dishes before ambling up the stairs.

The buzz from the beer lulled him into a light and uneasy sleep. He woke up around midnight to sounds coming from the kitchen because he hadn't latched his door completely. Silently he made his way down the steps, praying that it wasn't a prowler and hoping Jake wouldn't give him up if it was indeed Bella.

He tip-toed through the formal dining room and found Bella, in a tank top and white cotton panties, moving the food around in the cupboards, fridge and freezer, no doubt because Edward had put them away incorrectly.

Edward watched her move gracefully around the kitchen, admiring her small body, curvy in all the right places. He thought it was interesting that the scowl that seemed to have been permanently etched on her face since he arrived was missing. Her forehead was creased in concentration as she tried to recount where she preferred to store the extra water bottles; after all, it had been a while since anyone other than herself occupied the spacious home.

He took a deep breath, trying to gather the courage to say something to her, but decided she'd be more amiable in the morning when she wasn't caught off guard in her underwear. Edward saw Jake sleeping soundly across the room by the breakfast nook and thought it best if he left. However, just as he turned to leave, he spotted the Tupperware container that he stored the leftovers in. It sat on the counter with a fork propped inside of it – empty.

The next morning Edward felt different. He felt as though he was making some sort of progress with Bella, even if it was slow going. He walked down the stairs just as she was finishing breakfast, still in his pajamas.

"Morning beautiful." He yawned, stretching as he walked into the kitchen.

Bella froze momentarily upon hearing his voice, but resumed flipping pancakes shortly thereafter.

"I think I'm gonna go into town today for lunch, so don't worry about making me anything." He strode across the kitchen and retrieved a gallon of orange juice from the refrigerator, then moved next to Bella, reaching up to retrieve a glass, "Been cooped up too long."

Bella let out a small yelp, not realizing Edward's close proximity until he spoke.

Edward set the glass down and stared at her, "Please don't be scared of me." He pleaded softly. But Bella didn't acknowledge him.

She made quick work of finishing breakfast then took her food and all but rushed out of the room, followed by a slobbering Jake, hoping to get any scraps she didn't eat.

"Have a nice day," Edward yelled sarcastically. When he was finished eating he cleaned his dishes, showered and got dressed. He thought about asking Bella if he could drive the Roadster, but realized if there was one thing he didn't want to do, it was mess with those cars.

He met a few new people as he sat at the counter at the diner, drinking coffee next to Billy, the old man who hadn't seemed to have moved since the first day he saw him there and chatting with Nina and Todd. He desperately wanted to ask everyone that approached him about Bella and if she was behaving normally, but knew better. Delta was way too small of a town and the second her name rolled from his tongue, she'd know and he feared she'd castrate him while he slept – she _did_ know where he lived.

At precisely one on the dot, the three men he met on Monday rolled into the diner from their offices across the street. Being the gentlemen that they were, they offered him a spot in their usual booth and he couldn't refuse them.

Again lunch was filled with idle conversation about town gossip. They were especially concerned with making sure everything was ready for the big Fourth of July celebration the next day. Somehow Edward's cars came up as there was also a classic car show at the diner during the day of festivities.

"I don't suppose you'd bring out a few of your father's cars for people to get a look at? We know he's got some real beauties in that barn." Hank speculated.

Frankly Edward was all for it and he knew his father loved showing off his babies, but he also knew that wasn't really his decision to make, "I'm not sure" Edward replied cautiously as he took a bite of Nina's amazing apple pie. "I'll have to ask Bella; it's really up to her."

"Nonsense, they're your cars." Buddy put in his two cents.

"I know, but if she hasn't shown them without my dad around – I'd just like to get her permission." Edward said sheepishly, knowing how that must sound to the men at the table.

"She's all bark you know." Emmett said quietly, "Just like that dog of hers."

Edward chuckled darkly, "That might be true, but you're not the one that has to live with her." Edward instantly regretted the words, he didn't mean to speak poorly of Bella and he knew it would get back to her, "It's just – she's done such a good job restoring and taking care of those cars, they're as much hers as they are mine and I wouldn't feel right driving them into town without making sure she was okay with it." He finished his pie, "Say what you will, but I _won't_ cross Isabella Swan."

The table erupted in laughter and they all agreed that was the best decision. Sensing Edward's unwillingness to linger on Bella as a topic of conversation, Emmett thankfully switched subjects. However when the four men went to settle their bills, Emmett stopped Edward.

"You're coming to dinner at my house tonight, right?" Emmett asked Edward nonchalantly.

"I don't think so?" Edward was confused.

"Oh, I'm sure Bella just forgot to mention it; she makes the best spaghetti and meatballs every Friday for me, Rosie and the kids." He beamed.

"Vera, Chuck and Dave?" Edward thought back to the three cherub-like children that played in his house on the first night he'd been in town.

"That's right, you met the tykes when Rose brought them over on Monday." He laughed.

"You and Rose big Beatles fans?" Edward asked, making his way toward the register.

"Oh yeah, we met in a music history class in college." Emmett's dimples made him look that much more cheerful as he spoke about his family.

"Lucky you had three then." Edward joked.

Emmett patted him a bit roughly on the back as he barked out a laugh, "You betcha!"

Against his better judgment, Edward inquired, "So, what time's dinner?"

Emmett grinned, "Always six, but Bella gets to the house around five. I can show you my Harley while her and Rose cook." He sounded genuinely excited.

"Won't they need help?" Edward wondered.

Emmett snorted, "I gave up trying to help Bella do anything in the kitchen years ago. She doesn't even let Rose do anything, just tolerates her in the area so they can gossip." He shook his head. "See you at five." He waved goodbye and followed Buddy and Hank across the street to their offices.

Edward was sure it wouldn't end well, but he was looking forward to the dinner as he enjoyed the way Bella interacted with Rose and her children. Truthfully observing her around other people was the only way he could learn anything about her. Though he was happy to admit that Emmett's admission about Bella's individual and standoffish nature, especially when it came to cooking and her other responsibilities, came as a relief. It was clear the people of Delta loved Bella, but they had also grown accustomed to her eccentricities long ago.

Edward still had a lot to learn.

At quarter to five, Edward walked into the kitchen to find Bella packing the food she needed into paper bags. However, when she caught sight of him, she looked like a deer in the headlights.

"Need any help?" He offered brightly, predicting she would ignore him – and she did.

"Emmett invited me over. I hope that's okay." Edward told her, hoping she wouldn't vocally protest, even though he knew he wasn't welcome in her mind.

Bella glared at him for a split second before shrugging slightly and continuing to pack the food.

"What car are we taking?" He stepped toward her as she threw the last box of noodles in the second bag. Bella huffed when Edward swept the bags off the table and into his arms. "After you." He said graciously, motioning with his hand. Edward held back his laughter when he heard a low growl and decided it came from Bella as she stormed past him, rather than Jake who looked up at Edward expectantly, hoping he was invited as well. "Not tonight, pal." Edward chuckled at the dog and made his way out to the front porch.

Bella had already taken the '65 Malibu out of the hanger. The silver two-tone paint was illuminated by the low-hanging sun and Edward had to admit he was a bit surprised she hadn't driven off without him. But she did have a reputation to uphold after all.

Edward unlatched the trunk and secured the bags before climbing in the bucket seat on the passenger side, reverently running his fingers over the blue and silver leather interior. Bella gunned it the moment his door was closed.

"So, I know you're not talking to me, which is fine. I get it; that's your right—"

Edward was interrupted by another death glare that said 'get on with it or I'll pull over and shove you out.'

"Sorry – anyway, Hank and Buddy wanted to know if we could bring a couple of the cars in town tomorrow for the Forth of July." He held up his hands already sensing her displeasure, "I said I had to ask you, and I wasn't sure." He told her quickly. "So if you want to, just let me know what car to drive tomorrow morning and if not, then I'll just tell them I changed my mind." He wanted to make sure she knew Hank and Buddy wouldn't be on her case if she decided not to show the cars.

"I didn't know if you'd rather keep them in the hanger, or if you just didn't want to let people touch them without my dad's permission." Edward thought out loud. He turned to gauge her reaction, but her expression was blank, focusing on the road instead. "Just let me know." He sighed and didn't say anything else until they arrived at Rose and Emmett's modest two-story home a few minutes later.

"You go inside; I'll get the groceries." He told her, faux-grin still in place. He was trying so hard, but Bella just wanted to have nothing to do with him.

"Where's the food?" He heard Rose's bewildered voice when he entered the house, hoisting the bags in his hands.

Bella turned and stared at Edward before stomping into the kitchen. "Oh, hello." Rose raised an eyebrow upon seeing Edward, "Well don't just stand there." She laughed and took a bag from him, "Please take your shoes off." She requested sweetly, silently bidding him to follow her.

"Mommy says Anthony's gone into hiding!" Vera told Bella, conspiratorially while she held the girl in her arms.

"You don't say!" Bella's eyes widened, playing along with Vera's theory.

"He is you know." Rose said matter-of-factly. Edward tried not to look as uncomfortable as he felt. "There were sightings of him all over the country this weekend." Rose explained while she unpacked the grocery bags. Perhaps Edward hadn't been as stealthy as he'd thought.

"I'm sorry Rose; it's not that I don't care – well, let's be honest, I don't." She set Vera on the counter. "But how many times do I have to tell you, you don't know this guy. Why are you so concerned about him when you have a family to care for?"

Edward wondered the same thing.

"Oh, I'm sorry I'm not like you, abstaining from all forms of media except sports." Rose said mockingly, "So what if his movies speak to me and I like how vulnerable he is in real life?"

Edward had never felt more awkward in his life. And he knew above all else, he was walking a thin line and Rose could figure things out at any moment. Then it would be over… and where would he go?

"Fine, whatever." Bella backed down, "I just don't get it, I mean he's not even that cute."

Without thinking, Edward audibly scoffed, which was a mistake as both women spun on their heels and stared at him in disbelief.

Just then, the kitchen door swung open and Emmett bounded in.

"SHOES!" Rose cried.

"Oops," Emmett stepped back onto the welcome mat and sheepishly removed his shoes.

"DADDY!" Vera hopped off the counter and lunged at his leg.

"Hi princess." He ruffled her hair affectionately.

"Do you think Anthony died?" She asked Emmett innocently.

Emmett shot Rose a look, "Rose." He said sternly.

"What?" She raised an eyebrow, daring him to say something.

"I'm sure he's fine pumpkin." Emmett walked into the kitchen and kissed his wife on the cheek, rubbing her back lightly, "Hi honey." He smiled, "Where are the boys?"

"Dave's asleep; Chuck's trying to go potty." She folded up an empty paper bag, "He asked me to leave and said he didn't want an audience." She laughed.

"He actually said that?" Emmett narrowed his eyes.

Rose laughed again, "Well, no, he said 'Go away. I poopie alone.'"

The four adults laughed aas Vera traced the threads on her father's pant leg.

"Edward!" Emmett said suddenly and slapped his back for the second time that day, "Let's get some beers and I'll give you a tour."

Edward nodded, happy to be out of the watchful eyes of Bella and Rose. He still wasn't quite sure how Rose felt about him. Knowing girls, he figured that she was required to hate him on principle because Bella did, but she seemed to be giving him more of a chance than Bella. He suspected it was because Emmett had taken a shine to him.

Emmett showed him around the contemporary house. Chuck found them at one point, proudly declaring that he went potty all by himself.

Edward had always liked kids and often helped Alice babysit. Emmett introduced Chuck to Edward and although he was shy at first, the little boy was oddly curious with the new visitor.

Before they went into the garage to see Emmett's Harley, Edward excused himself to the bathroom and on his way out to find Emmett, he couldn't help but overhear Bella and Rose discussing him in hushed whispers, while they cooked.

"He seems nice." Rose said.

"I just don't like him." Bella said defensively, "I don't have to like everyone."

"It's just that Esme and Carlisle were so nice, I don't understand what he did to you." Rose was confused.

"He won't leave me alone. He bothers me." Bella complained, "Just because he's their son, just because he owns the house and didn't make me leave, just because I'm forced to live with him, doesn't mean I have to be his best friend."

"Bella, you know that's not what I'm saying. Have you seen the way he looks at you?" Rose was curious.

"Yeah, like a piece of meat. I'm not some townie looking to screw leafers for kicks." Bella scowled and Edward tried to think back to the way he looked at her when they rarely interacted.

"I disagree." Rose told her, "He looks like you scare the crap out of him."

Bella laughed.

"Did you know Hank and Buddy asked him to drive some of Carlisle's cars into town tomorrow and he said he wouldn't agree to anything without your permission?" Edward rolled his eyes at the fact that Rose already knew about a conversation he had with Emmett only hours earlier.

"Whatever Rose. Don't take his side. He just irks me and I have a right to my opinion." Bella said, "You're rolling the meatballs all wrong."

"Get over it." Rose said shortly and Edward didn't know if she was referring to her inexplicable negative feelings for him, or the meat.

Deciding he'd eavesdropped long enough, and fearing that one of Rose's kids would discover him, Edward made his way to the garage, thankfully undetected.

Edward was amused by Emmett's love for his motorcycle, but appreciated the fact that he had so easily accepted him and spoke as if they had been friends for just as long as Rose and Bella had known each other. But as that thought crossed his mind, he realized he didn't even know how long that was.

"How long has Bella known your wife?" Edward asked Emmett when there was a gap in conversation. He knew it wouldn't take long for Bella to find out about his questioning, but he didn't care. At the very least, Bella would know he cared enough to want to get to know her.

"Oh geez, let's see." Emmett pursed his lips in thought, "I guess she rolled into town about five years ago." He nodded, confirming the time to himself, "She stayed with us for a while, until your parents took her in. Rose was pregnant at the time, so she was thrilled to have the help around the house." Emmett recalled.

"Where did she move here from?" Edward was completely intrigued that Bella had come to Delta without knowing anyone or even having a place to stay.

"Shoot, I dunno. Rose might – I can ask—"

"Oh, no." Edward decided that was enough to chew on, "I was just curious. I'll ask Bella about it later." Emmett chuckled, knowing that Edward was lying.

At precisely six pm, everyone gathered around the McCarty's dining room table and Rose placed a sleepy Dave into a high chair next to her. Edward wondered if they might say Grace, but Bella and Emmett began a casual conversation as they served Vera and Chuck then themselves. Meanwhile Rose alternated between taking a bite of her food and then feeding Dave small spoon fulls of baby food from a little jar.

The sight of Emmett's family and the way that Bella so seamlessly fit into their lives made Edward's heart hurt. The last time he'd been at a table like this, he sat across from Alice, making faces at her, trying to get her to spit out her food while his mother and father, on either side of him, pretended they disapproved as they held back laughter. Dinner with these strangers, who had unquestionably embraced him (except for Bella) was just as intimate as the last time he had dinner with everyone in his family.

As if the nostalgia wasn't enough to choke him up and make him desperately want to talk to Alice, he finally took a bite of the food Bella had made for all of them.

It tasted almost exactly like his mother's recipe – except, it was better.

"Oh god." Edward stifled.

Bella dropped her fork from across the table with a metallic clatter and Edward met her angry gaze. "If you don't' like it, don't eat it." She seethed, nostrils flared.

"What?" Edward was more than taken aback.

"Nobody wants you here. Emmett only asked you to come because he has terrible judge in character." She spit.

"Hey…" Emmett said, mildly offended.

"So if you don't like it, then starve." She finished.

"I never said I didn't like it." Edward said half-heartedly, debating on how far he wanted to take their argument in front of an audience at a home where they were guests. But then he thought, 'fuck it, better to have witnesses.'

"It tastes wonderful!" He growled and saw Rose cover her mouth with her hands, holding back laughter at the absurd situation, "Better than my mom's, okay!"

"She taught her." Rose said quietly and Edward looked at her imploringly, "It _is_ your mom's; she taught Bella how to cook."

Emmett's eyes darted between the three of them, unsure of what to do.

"Why do you hate me?" Edward pleaded with Bella, refusing to break their eye contact.

Bella's jaw set tightly, but very calmly she removed the napkin from her lap and pushed her chair out so she could stand.

"Oh crap, don't go. I'm sorry." Edward stood up. "I'll leave."

"How?" Bella sneered and Dave started to cry. Vera and Chuck were miffed, but had continued to eat through the heated exchange.

"I'll give you a ride home." Emmett offered.

"I'm sorry." Edward said softly to Bella, though she refused to look at him, "I'm sorry."

Emmett clapped him lightly on the back, "Be back in twenty Rosie."

"Drive safe." Rose called to Emmett, distracted by Dave's cries.

"I'm so sorry I ruined your dinner." Edward felt awful that Emmett had to drive him back.

"C'mon, it's not your fault." Emmett unlocked his state issued SUV, "She'll come around."

"I'm not so sure. Maybe I should just leave." Edward confessed.

"Hey, give it the weekend before you do anything rash." Emmett suggested, "She just needs to calm down. Rose'll talk to her."

"Okay," Edward agreed. "Two days."

* * *

**AN:** Sorry for the update fail. I'll make it up to you and post an extra chapter next week. Just in case anyone was wondering '_townie_' is lingo for someone who actually resides in a vacation town and '_leafer_' is a term that refers to people who vacation in northern areas of the Midwest and East Coast just to see the leafs changing colors in the fall.


	5. Chapter 5: July 4

**July 4**

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* * *

**

_Mom & Dad,_

_It's been a long time since I wrote to you, but it's also been a long time since I was so lost that I needed to. I know she meant something to you. I know you wouldn't have trusted her to take care of the house and set up those secret accounts to pay for her food and the taxes otherwise. You went to an awful lot of trouble to make sure she was taken care of, yet you never once mentioned her to me or Alice._

_Maybe the fact that she's a mystery, such an enigma, is the reason I'm so desperate to befriend her. But both of you meant something to her too; so we have that in common. I don't think I've ever wanted someone to like me so badly, in my life. And it's not because she doesn't like me, more that I just want to understand why she doesn't._

_I don't think the fame's gone to my head, but I always thought I was that nice guy. You know, the one that listens to girls when they break up with their boyfriends, picks you up from the airport or helps you move into your new apartment, no questions asked. I'm that guy that buys you a round when you've had a shit day. But maybe that's the problem – because she doesn't want anything, least of all me, invading her space._

_But where am I supposed to go? I've got plenty of cash to last me a while here, but not nearly enough to pay for a house elsewhere, without raising any flags._

_I don't know what to do to pacify her and I don't understand why I'm so desperate to placate her. And I miss you. I always miss you._

_Your loving son, _

_Edward_

_

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_

"You're braver than I thought." Rose sidled up next to Edward while he worked the barbecue pit.

Edward didn't bother to turn and face Rose, partially because he was scared she'd finally recognized him as Anthony Masen, but also because she was Bella's best friend and he wasn't sure he could trust anything she said.

"Emmett told you I almost left last night?" Edward guessed and wiped the sweat from his brow.

Rose laughed, "Of course he did."

"I'm sorry I ruined your dinner." Edward said softly.

"Ruined it?" Rose giggled, "I can't remember the last time I've been so entertained."

"Oh…" Edward adjusted his sunglasses, "Well, I'm still sorry. I was terribly rude."

"You say 'sorry' an awful lot." Rose observed.

Edward was unsure how to respond. "Did you need something?" He asked politely, "The ribs are gonna need another twenty minutes."

"No, Bella sent me over here with sun block; she didn't want you to get burned."

Edward paused to look at Rose, "Why didn't she bring it over here herself?"

"Oh, you're not supposed to know she sent me." Rose smiled mischievously as she handed him the bottle.

"Thanks," He put down his tongs and started putting the lotion on his arms and face. "I don't suppose you know what I did to make her so upset?" He tried.

"You didn't do anything." Rose eyes softened, "She's grieving."

"They were _my_ parents too." Edward said suddenly without thinking; he was still unable to understand why she would blame him for their deaths.

"You don't get it Edward." Rose took the bottle from him when he was finished and put a dab on her fingers, "It's not just their deaths that she's mourning." Rose rubbed a bit of the sun screen on the tips of his ears that poked out from beneath his baseball cap. He thought it was sweet that she couldn't turn off being a mother.

"I don't follow." Edward said honestly.

Rose sighed, "Bella is nothing if not a creature of habit. What is it? Laundry on Monday, sheets on Tuesday, vacuuming Wednesdays, groceries on Thursday, floors and windows on Fridays, cars on Saturday and yard work on Sunday." She laughed again, "And it's been that way for five years. You should see the tantrums she throws if it rains on a Sunday."

Edward laughed with Rose and was so happy that she was willing to talk to him and help him, but then again, in a round about way, she was really helping Bella.

"So she sticks to this schedule for so long and then one day you come in and throw it all off—"

"But I told her she didn't have to do any of those things for me!" Edward interrupted Rose, "I don't want to be a burden."

"Ahh, but that was your second mistake." Rose chided, "Bella has a very strong work ethic and the only way she'd agree to stay with your parents was if they let her earn it." She picked up the tongs and began to turn the ribs over for Edward, "Your mom taught her how to cook and clean and your dad showed her everything he knew about cars. They rebuilt that Corvette together."

The thought of his dad working in the hanger with Bella or his mom flitting around the kitchen explaining how to make the marinara sauce perfectly, made Edward's chest constrict. "So how do I fix this if she doesn't want change but refuses to accept my help?" Edward didn't see how he could win.

"Don't give up on her." Rose smiled, "She needs a challenge."

"I don't want to challenge her; I'm scared of her." Edward was completely honest as he found that Rose seemed to put him at ease… maybe it was her maternal nature.

Rose laughed again and clapped him on the back like her husband, "Just keep trying to help, but do what she tells you. You can ask if she wants help putting the groceries away, but if she says no, then don't."

It was so simple… and Edward really hoped it would work; he thought it had more potential than his other plans.

"Thank you Rose." Edward took the tongs from her.

"She wants to like you. I think it's just easier to blame you for what happened – not their deaths." She corrected herself quickly, "Just that she didn't know… I think she feels guilty." Rose thought aloud.

Edward mulled over that as he finished with the food. He stayed on the periphery during the festivities; helping when asked, but making sure he wasn't in the way.

Bella had driven the white '67 shorty stepside Chevy pick up and left the white Chevy II Nova out front with the keys in the ignition for him to drive to the Delta Diner. He figured she picked the Nova because it was automatic and Bella didn't know that Edward could drive stick. His father had actually taught him how to drive manually in the '67 Pontiac Le Mans sport coupe. The hot little car was a 4 speed with 326 horse power, white interiors and light blue exteriors. It was his first car, though his dad wouldn't let him drive it after there was snow on the ground, but he was glad about that fact now, as the car was in considerably better shape than the '66 Pontiac Tempest he drove during the winters. Alice always loved that car because her winter coat matched the turquoise interiors.

After helping serve lunch to all the tourists and townspeople, Edward walked around and admired a lot of the other collector cars that were brought to the show. Edward preferred his father's muscle cars, but appreciated the models from the 40's and 50's that were more abundant in front of the diner.

Occasionally he'd catch himself watching Bella animatedly explaining something about one of the Chevy models they brought. She had such a passion for the vehicles. Jake was at her side the entire day, as she had allowed him to ride into town in the bed of the truck. He knew she wouldn't dare let him get anywhere near the interior of any of his father's cars.

As twilight began to fall on the small town, the people who stayed allowed their children to wave around sparklers while waiting for the fireworks. Dave didn't seem particularly happy that Vera and Chuck got to play with the sparklers when he couldn't. Chuck didn't know what to do with the spitting stick, so he just stood still with his arm stretched out while it burned itself out. Vera on the other hand twirled around, her dress fanning out like an open flower while she traced patterns with the light.

Emmett, Buddy, Hank and a few more locals left to set up the large fireworks. Edward was decidedly relieved that they hadn't asked him to come, as he was more than exhausted from helping non-stop since he dropped the Nova off in front of the diner.

It was almost completely dark when Rose had to run to the bathroom to change Dave. Edward saw Vera start to throw a fit about the fact that Chuck got more sparklers than she did – he hadn't. Chuck wandered away from Vera and Bella to find Edward.

"Hi." The little boy stared up at Edward, barely able to see through his mop of curly blonde hair.

"What's up Chief?" Edward smiled as he squatted down to talk to the child face-to-face.

"Vera's mean." He said simply and Edward laughed.

Just then Bella realized Chuck had disappeared, so she began to frantically yell for him.

"Uh oh, you better get back." Edward said jokingly as he picked up the little boy and strode toward Bella. "I've got him." He said quickly, not wanting her to worry.

Bella didn't say anything, just sighed in relief and moved forward to take Chuck from Edward, but Chuck wouldn't budge.

"NOOOOOO!" He wailed; his little arms tightly constricted around Edward's neck.

Edward shrugged, "It's okay."

Bella seemed just as exhausted as Edward, so instead of arguing, she laid out a blanket on the ground where they could sit comfortably and watch the show.

Vera refused to sit once the fireworks started. Chuck re-situated himself in Edward's lap, but when he cried out in shock from the sound of the first display, he pressed one ear against Edward's chest and Edward covered the other with his hand so Chuck could watch the light show comfortably.

Though Edward was slightly preoccupied with making sure Chuck was okay, he found he was acutely aware of the fact that Bella was sitting very close to him. There was some sort of energy radiating the space between them. And when Edward was so close, it felt like an electric current connected them. Knowing she was inches away – he felt a ridiculous need to touch her.

Not knowing exactly what was possessed him at the time, Edward watched his free hand move of its own accord, as if it belonged to someone else. He reached out and covered Bella's hand with his own.

Immediately her eyes flew to his, but Edward was surprised to find they weren't angry, rather they were wondrous… curious… questioning.

"I don't want to fight with you anymore." He said softly.

Bella's eyes darted from his to their joined hands and then back up again, "I don't hate you." She whispered and he saw the guilt in her eyes from his accusation at diner the night before.

"I know." He squeezed her hand lightly and was pleasantly surprised when she reciprocated.

Edward kept hold of Bella until the fireworks ended and they were both startled by Rose clearing her throat from behind them.

"They're so in love, Mommy." Vera proclaimed loudly, much to Edward and Bella's dismay; their faces both pink with embarrassment.

Rose laughed and looked down at Chuck, "I see you made a new friend."

Chuck's little hands tightened around Edward's shirt as he nodded at his mother.

"You can keep him if you want." Rose joked.

"MOMMY!" Chuck cried in protest and bolted from Edward's lap to his mother.

"Fine, I guess you can come home with me." She stroked his curls gently, while she held a sleeping Dave to her chest.

"Ready to go?" Emmett suddenly appeared and Vera was instantly at his side.

"Thank god, yes." Rose sighed.

Emmett squeezed his wife's shoulder affectionately before picking up both Vera and Chuck, their heads immediately slumped on his shoulder. "They've had a big day." He observed.

"So have I, let's go home." She gave Emmett a tired smile.

"Thanks for bringing the cars out." Emmett told Bella, then turned to Edward, "And thanks for all your help today." He readjusted Vera on his hip, "I'm sure I'll see you at the diner sometime this week."

"Night." Edward waved goodbye to the family.

There was a pregnant pause before Bella quickly said, "I'll meet you at the house – I need to find Jake."

"Do you want help?" Edward offered automatically.

"That's okay." She stood there awkwardly, waiting for Edward to insist, but was oddly pleased when he didn't.

"Okay, drive safe." He gave her a quick smile and walked over to the Chevy II. He made a swift retreat so Bella wouldn't question the huge grin he had on his face because he was honestly thrilled that not only had Rose's advice worked, but the look of animosity that he had so often seen in Bella's eyes was gone. He just prayed it wasn't some sort of trick.

Edward took his time on the back roads as he headed back to the house. He told himself he should go slower to keep an eye out for deer, but as soon as he saw Bella's headlights behind him, his anxiety faded, as she was the real cause for his worry.

When he arrived at the hanger door, he got out of his car to slide it open, but realized he didn't know the code. Bella pulled up then and rolled her window down, "Eleven. Twenty. Eighty-three." She dictated the code.

Edward punched it in and the door gave a slight hiss as it unsealed itself. Bella pulled in first while Edward jumped back in the Nova and followed her lead into the only remaining spot.

"Does it mean anything?" Edward tried to make conversation as he and Bella exited the garage and walked to the house, with Jake following close behind.

"What does what mean?" She was confused.

"The code – it's a date." Edward observed.

Bella took a moment, contemplating how to answer him, "It's my birthday." She paused, "Your dad said I was out here more than anyone, so he used a code I'd remember." She paused. "It's probably not that safe because it's so obvious – I'll change it." She said quickly.

"Oh, you don't have to do that; I'm sure it's fine." He reassured her as he opened the front door for her. He was happy to be holding such a mundane conversation with her, but in the back of his mind he still feared this was temporary.

At the very least he'd learned a little more about her. Her birthday meant she was twenty five – twenty six in November. She was older than he'd originally thought, but that assumption was mostly due to her small stature more than anything else.

Edward locked the door behind him and was a little surprised to see Bella halfway through the front room on her way to the kitchen.

"You're not going to bed?" He asked.

She turned to look at him and shrugged, "I've got some stuff I need to catch up on." There was a slight edge to her voice as if she wanted him to challenge her or tell her not to stay up just to clean.

But he wasn't about to ignore Rose's advice when it had already worked out so well. "Don't work too hard." He smiled at her and moved to go up the stairs when he heard her.

"Edward," Bella said quietly. He stopped and met her nervous chocolate eyes, "Can we just start over tomorrow?" She took her bottom lip between her teeth.

Edward was taken aback by the sudden urge he felt to close the distance between them and stop her from such action. Thankfully, he didn't. "I'd like that – a blank slate." He said.

"Tabula rasa." She laughed softly and Edward loved the sound so much he barely stopped himself from moving toward her.

"Yeah," He agreed. Edward studied her for a moment, still concerned that there was a catch because she looked so anxious, but Edward realized it wasn't because she was tricking him, but because she genuinely wanted a fresh start. "Good night Bella." He gave her a small nod before ascending the stairs to his bedroom.

The next morning Edward woke up to a few noises and smells. Rain softly fell against his window and he took a deep breath of the way the forest smelled when it was damp. Briefly he thought of something Rose said the day before, about how Bella worked outside on Sundays and was especially upset when rain threw off those plans. But the moment he opened his bedroom door, his fear abated.

The sweet smell of cinnamon lingered in the hallway and Edward could immediately identify the mouth watering aroma as his mother's French toast. Bella was killing him – he was going to get fat – and fast.

However the other thing he heard was the quiet tinkling of a melancholy sonata coming from the baby grand piano in the front room. Immediately he wondered who Bella had invited over that could play the piano. Edward quickly threw on a pair of jeans and a shirt before he went to find out who the pianist was.

He was unable to hold back a quiet snort of incredulity when he found, none other than Bella's fingers gliding across the ivory keys. Although the noise he made was not quiet enough to go undetected.

Bella stopped playing instantly and gave Edward the same deer in the headlights look, when he caught her trying to sneak over to Rose's to make dinner.

"Please don't stop," Edward told her, afraid to move from the entryway, "That was really nice."

"No, it's – I'm too rusty." She stuttered and he found her vulnerability more than endearing.

"I don't mind." He said kindly. "My mom used to play, I miss hearing it."

"Yeah," Bella looked down, "We used to play together sometimes."

"Did she teach you?" He wondered aloud.

"No." Bella said shortly.

Edward didn't want to press the topic, sensing her discord. "Well, you play beautifully." He tried to complement her.

"Thanks, but I haven't played in years." She stood up.

"I couldn't tell." He reassured her, "Don't stop on my account. I can serve myself – if that's okay." He added just in case.

"Of course." She said as if it was silly that he'd need permission to serve himself. But she'd always made his plate before, so he took the safe route.

"Please tell me it's what I think it is." Edward said excitedly, referring to the food.

"French toast?" She replied warily.

"Oh my god, you're amazing!" He exclaimed and practically skipped into the kitchen. Edward was not only pleased that the food was, as usual, better than he remembered, but also that Bella began to play again, though quieter that time.

And as he sat, eating the syrupy confection for the first time in years, he felt the urge to write. The thought of putting pen to paper again made him giddy with anticipation until he could no longer handle waiting another second.

Edward almost choked on the last piece of toast, intent on finishing every last bite before he snuck through the dining room up to his room where he grabbed an old notebook and a black ball point pen.

Without saying anything he sat down on the couch next to the piano so he had a nice view of Bella's profile as she played, as well as the dreary sky out front. She had perfectly erect posture as her arm muscles flexed while she extended them over the length of the piano with complete grace. Edward was enraptured with her eyes, close in concentration, the slight tinge of red coloring her cheeks as a result of her exertion, and everything about the way that she moved and who she was. He knew then that he was without a doubt attracted to Bella. He wanted her.

He was just about to start writing – what, he didn't know – when she stopped.

Their eyes met and Edward was the first to speak. "Please, keep playing. I haven't wanted to write since my parents died. But I want to write today." He begged her.

Upon his admission, a look of surprise, then understanding crossed her face. "Is that what you do? Write?" She asked, breaking eye contact to examine her fingers, resting on the piano.

"Yeah – I guess, but like I said, I haven't for a long time." Edward hoped he hadn't scared her off. He wanted her to keep playing. He wanted to be near her. He wanted her.

"Writer's block?" She mused as she pressed her fingers down on a few keys.

"Something like that." He sighed, waiting for her to continue or refuse him.

"What do you want me to play?" She said quietly after a long moment.

"Anything." He said quickly, "Whatever you want to." He said sincerely.

"Okay." She breathed and a moment later her hands took flight as another sonata filled the sitting room.

Edward smiled at Bella though she didn't see it. He took in her small form in a short skirt and pink t-shirt, she hit the pedals with her bare feet and continued to play song after sad song while words finally flowed freely through Edward's pen. He wrote sweet but sad words, mirroring the notes that emanated from the large instrument. Words about her.

Hours later, Bella was so enthralled with the piece she was playing that she didn't notice when Edward got up. She started when he placed his hand gently on the center of her back, a familiar jolt of electricity shooting through both of them as a result of the contact. "Can I get you something for lunch?" He offered sweetly.

"Oh, what do you want?" She stood suddenly as his hand fell to his side.

"I was just thinking sandwiches, nothing too complicated. But I can get it." He hadn't meant for her to stop. He just thought she might be hungry as they'd been absorbed in their respective activities for quite a while.

"It's fine, I can do it." She said, almost to the kitchen. Jake yawned and stretched before trotting to her side. "What would you like on it?"

"Umm, do we have ham?" Edward took a seat on a stool at the counter. Bella nodded, "Then ham, cheese and lettuce please." He requested.

"Drink?" She asked.

"Water's fine." He smiled. She seemed genuinely pleased to be helping him and although he hadn't understood exactly what Rose told him the day before about Bella wanting to earn her place in the house, watching her – he just got it. It wasn't work to her; she honestly enjoyed helping him.

When she slid the plate and glass across the table to him, he took a risk, "Will you eat lunch with me?"

Bella stared at him, uncertain what to do. She hadn't shared a single meal with him since he arrived as neither of them counted the failed attempt at the McCarty residence.

"Please." He said sweetly and the way his eyes softened caught Bella off guard.

"Uhh – sure, okay." She stuttered before retrieving what she wanted to make for her lunch.

"I know the rain put you behind…" Edward said between bites as she ate, "I thought, if you needed – err, wanted any help tomorrow so you could stay caught up – I mean, I could help you." He didn't know how to offer his services without offending her.

"Oh," she swallowed, again unsure how to respond under their new accord, "Well… maybe."

"Just if you want help. I don't mind, but it's okay if you want to do it by yourself. I'm sure you've had to deal with weather delays plenty up here." He tried, feeling like he sounded like an idiot, but unable to put his foot in his mouth.

Bella stifled a laugh, "Yeah, the weather can get pretty extreme. I'm just glad it's only rain today." She prattled, "I hate thunderstorms."

Edward was curious, but for some reason decided not to pursue her fear, "A tornado hit my house when I was seven." He offered.

"I remember your parents mentioning that. It must have been so traumatic at that age." She was actually making conversation and Edward couldn't have been happier.

"They did a good job of making sure Alice and I coped with everything. I mean you know my mom was a psychiatrist, so she knew what to do to make sure we were okay." Edward said.

"Yeah," Bella replied wistfully, then snapped out of her reverie, "Alice? She's your sister, right?"

"My twin." He laughed.

"Really?" Bella replied excitedly, "I didn't know that – that's so cool." She grinned widely.

"It can be. I mean, I always had someone to play with, growing up." He took another bite.

"Must have been nice." She sighed. Edward cocked his head imploringly, "I've always been envious of people who have siblings." She clarified.

"You were an only child?" He guessed.

Bella nodded in confirmation, "It was kind of lonely," She laughed humorlessly, trying to break up the tension. She hated when people pitied her.

"Where are you from originally?" Edward hedged, wondering if he'd gone too far, but he didn't ask why she came to Delta; he had a feeling that topic was off limits.

"Seattle." She said after hesitating.

Edward easily sensed her discomfort, "But you're a Packer fan?" He changed the subject.

Bella narrowed her eyes at him playfully, "Yeah – you wanna make something of it?" She tried to sound tough, but ended up bursting out in laughter. Edward joined in as the musical tone was positively infectious.

"Badger fan?" Edward asked, curious if she followed his alma mater's athletics.

"Just football and hockey." Bella smiled as she took Edward's plate out from in front of him. "More hockey than football."

"Thanks for lunch; I can do the dishes." He offered.

"You're welcome, and thanks for the offer, but I like them cleaned a certain way." She said from over her shoulder.

Edward got out of his chair and stood by her side, "You could show me." He said, interested that she hadn't outright refused his proposal.

Bella turned and stumbled backwards, as she hadn't realized how close he was to her.

"Sorry, you don't have to." He told her, in case he had already upset her, when they were really doing so well.

Bella put her hands on her hips, "You just don't give up, do you?" She searched his eyes for an answer.

"I'm sorry – I shouldn't have said anything." Edward back tracked as he tried to make a retreat.

"Stop." She rolled her eyes, when he began to step away from her, "Get over here." She crooked her index finger, willing him closer. "I have different sponges for different foods…" She began.

A huge grin spread along Edward's face as he inched closer to her, listening intently to her instructions and relishing the warmth of her body, only inches from his own. He wanted her.

* * *

**AN:** There's a reason Bella's birthday is different from canon. It'll be explained in a later chapter. :) Have a lovely day!


	6. Chapter 6: July 11

**July 11**

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* * *

**

_Dear Rose,_

_I can honestly say I didn't get it before. She was the first person I met and the last person I expected to find at my parent's house. Everyone in Delta spoke so highly of her, as if she belonged to this town. But I didn't see any of it._

_I do now._

_I wanted to thank you for your advice last weekend and I suspect you may have spoken with her as well; though I know you'll never admit it and I would never ask you to._

_I came to Delta looking for something; I thought it was something in me. Since my parents passed, I just haven't been the same. Not that I could be, or even that I want to be that man, but I lost a lot of myself when I lost them. I thought if I came here, if I saw those cars that were such a big part of my childhood, maybe I could start to move on or at least start trying._

_I realize I'm rambling, but the intent of this letter is to inform you how much I appreciate the fact that you not only welcomed me into your home and made me feel like a part of your family, but that you were so willing to help me repair my relationship with Bella._

_Writing a letter may seem rather formal, but regardless of the fact that it's so old-fashioned, I find it's the best way to articulate exactly what I would like to say._

_So thank you for all your help, I'm not sure if you could ever understand how much it means to me to be on good terms with Bella. She was important to my parents and is equally important to me._

_Yours,_

_Edward_

_

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_

It had been a week.

A week since Edward and Bella had called their truce.

A week since Edward started writing again.

A week since Bella slowly began to open up and offer her friendship and trust to Edward.

In that week, Bella had allowed Edward to follow her around the house and observe her cleaning routines. 'If you insist on helping, you might as well do it the right way so I don't have to re-do it later anyway.' Bella had complained, but Edward knew she would have told him to leave if she actually minded. Well, she did tell him she didn't want his help folding laundry on Monday.

"What? Folding pants is too complicated for me?" He asked jokingly.

"No, I don't want you to see my underwear – pervert." She stuck her tongue out at him teasingly before shutting the laundry room door in his face.

"But _my_ underwear's in there." He protested from the kitchen.

"Nice. Boxer briefs." Her laugh was muffled by the door.

Once she finally let her guard down around him a little and came to terms with the fact that he was staying, they both discovered they got along quite easily.

Bella liked to boss Edward around to test his limits, but found that he'd do whatever she asked of him, not knowing that his previous profession, as well as a loud-mouthed little sister primed him for her personality and demanded patience. No matter what she did, Edward was always right there to graciously offer her help or make idle conversation if she insisted on doing the task alone. It was however difficult to avoid talking about what he had been doing for the last three years, but instead he tried to focus on bonding with Bella using his parents.

Besides the laundry, the only thing she refused his help with was the cars. Regardless, he followed her into the hanger Saturday morning after breakfast, Jake steadfast behind them. Edward sat and watched her tune up the black '60 Pontiac Catalina convertible with interiors that matched the paint job.

Bella's feet were planted on the cement as she leaned over the engine. Again Edward found himself admiring her curves in the tight cut-off shorts she'd worn the day they first met, but she had on a heather grey tank top instead of the white wife beater.

"Edward?" Bella glared at him, disrupting his ogling, "Pervert," she muttered, "I asked for a wrench."

Edward stepped forward and handed her the heavy tool. "Tease." He whispered so low, he didn't think she heard him until a soft giggle passed through her lips.

Edward blushed as he realized she had, in fact, been flirting with him. "So – uhh, what kind of engine did you say this had?" He choked.

"It's a 389 automatic." She chuckled, knowing she made him uncomfortable, "Grab me a towel, will ya?"

Edward found a rag on the floor and handed it to her so she could wipe the sweat from her brow. But in doing so, she also managed to smear a streak of grease along her forehead.

"Err – Bella?" Edward said hesitantly.

"What?" She asked innocently, throwing the rag over her shoulder.

"You have something…" He motioned to his forehead and she mimicked his action, but only managed to make it worse. "Here—" Edward strode toward her and was mere inches away from her face as he reached forward to help her get clean when she suddenly flinched away. A look of fear flashed along her face for a split second before it was gone.

"I can get it." She said frantically, hoping Edward didn't think twice about her reaction. She pulled the hem of her tank top up and wiped her forehead clean. Edward tried not to stare at her pale, flat stomach as she did so, but at the sight of her navel of all things he couldn't stop thinking about how good she would taste.

Ignoring the obvious straining against his pants, Bella closed the hood of the car. "Finished." She declared.

"Already?" He asked in surprise. They had only been in the garage for a few hours.

"It's too hot to work outside." She whined and breezed past him. Since the rain on Sunday, the humidity had been steadily increasing.

"We should go swimming." Edward blurted out. Then mentally kicked himself, because although his suggestion sounded like it was a way to avoid the heat, he knew he really just wanted an excuse to see Bella in the white bikini top he'd seen her wear.

"Okay," she jovially agreed, while they made their way toward the house. "Then Jake can come too." She said in a sing-song voice to her K-9 companion. "I'll meet you at the dock." She told Edward before disappearing into her room.

"Thank you, Alice." Edward said aloud as he pulled out a pair of swim trunks from the luggage he still hadn't completely unpacked. He grabbed two towels from the linen closet at the top of the stairs and yelled, "Bells, I've got a towel for you," before bounding down the stairs and out the back door.

The humidity was stifling, but it was a perfect day for a dip and Edward had also been itching to spend more time by the lake. If it had been cooler, he could have written outside, though he would have had to deal with the bugs and Bella couldn't very well play the piano outside.

Edward sat down on the dock and let his long legs break the surface of the water. He turned to look up at the house and saw Bella taking her time walking toward the lake through the backyard with Jake running circles around her short form, clad in none other than Edward's favorite white bikini. However, Edward was pleasantly surprised to take in the white boy shorts that matched the halter top.

He gave her a loud cat call as she neared him and Bella stopped dead in her tracks. She raised her arm and pointed her index finger straight at him, "I'll have none of that." She tried to sound threatening, but the light girlish tone to her voice let Edward know she wouldn't follow through with any actual violence.

"C'mere squirt." He chuckled.

"_Don't_ call me that." She huffed, but began walking toward him again. When she had closed the distance between them, she thrust out her hand, shoving a bottle of sun screen in Edward's face that he hadn't seen her holding as he was too busy looking at her chest.

"Oh, I'm fine. Unlike you I can tan." He beamed.

"It's not for you, idiot." She clicked her tongue and sat down next to Edward on the dock, "I need help with my back." She said suddenly timid.

"Do you, now?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Please." She said seriously, silently asking him to stop joking.

"Turn around." He instructed her.

Bella swung her legs out from the lake and folded them beneath her as she repositioned herself so her back was facing Edward.

He granted himself a brief moment to take in her small, flawless back. He swept her mahogany hair to the side, accidentally brushing his finger tips across her neck. The second he made contact with Bella, her skin erupted in goose bumps and the current between them flowed freely.

"So soft…" Wes whispered to himself and hoped that Bella hadn't heard him – she had.

She offered him a quick thanks before taking the bottle from him, standing and smearing more sunscreen on her face and neck. Jake began whining at her feet with a Frisbee in his mouth. The disk was tattered and covered in drool, but Bella didn't miss a beat as she bent down and won a quick match of tug-of-war over the toy. Jake finally gave up and Bella flicked her wrist, sending the Frisbee soaring over the water. Upon releasing the toy Jake leapt into the water in a very inelegant belly flop, but made fast work of swimming out to retrieve the disk.

"You gonna get in?" Edward asked Bella.

"I dunno, it felt a little cold." She paused by the edge of the dock, looking over at the softly rippling surface.

"Oh well." Edward laughed before picking her up, ignoring her shrill pleas and dropping her into the water with a loud splash.

Moments later she surfaced, coughing and sputtering, "I can't swim – you jerk!" She choked, while flailing around in the water.

"Oh God!" Edward leaned over the side and reached out to help her. He was only playing and it would just be his luck to drown the one person he wanted to stick around.

However, the moment Bella grabbed hold of Edward's arm, rather than wait for him to pull her up, she yanked forward, bringing him crashing into the water.

Edward gulped in air as he clawed his way above the water, but he met Bella's chocolate eyes, sparkling with mischief as she smirked. "Payback's a bitch." Then she leapt on top of him, dunking him under the water again, giggling all the while that he had fallen for her damsel in distress act.

"You are so gonna get it!" He threatened, splashing her with water while she squealed and tried to swim away. "Jake can't save you now!" Edward shouted maniacally, yards away by the dock.

The two horsed around for a while, in between playing fetch with Jake and playing tricks on each other. After a few hours, Bella declared that she needed to start dinner. When she was safely out of the water and wrapped in a towel, Edward almost knocked the wind out of Bella as he threw her over his shoulder and jogged back up to the house.

"Let me down you Neanderthal!" She screeched, though she held onto him for dear life, fearing he might drop her.

"You like it." He laughed and playfully smacked her ass. Bella yelped and pounded on his back in protest. "Careful, I don't want to drop you." He teased.

"No! Don't!" She cried.

"Don't worry… I won't let you go." He whispered huskily as he gently set her down, just as he crossed the threshold of the back door.

Their eyes met for a brief moment as Bella tried to comprehend his advances and he tried to decipher her reaction.

"Jerk!" She said suddenly and half-heartedly punched him in the arm before taking off up the stairs.

"You better run!" He called after her as he gave chase, only to have Bella slam her bedroom door in his face. "Belllaaa…" he said sweetly from outside the door, "Let me in." He coaxed.

"No!" She yelled from behind the door, "You can't come in!"

"Why not?" He wasn't sure how far he wanted to take the little game they'd been playing.

"Because I'm changing!" Bella shouted.

"Are you naked?" Edward joked.

"Go clean Jake up before he gets mud all over the carpet, you pervert!" She commanded.

"Fine, I'll get you later, tease." He chuckled, then quickly dried off in his room before throwing on some fresh clothes and jogging down the stairs to find Jake.

Bella hesitantly walked into the kitchen a few minutes later in a pair of tight black yoga pants and another tank top. "Don't try anything." She warned him as she skirted around the edges of the kitchen, keeping as much distance between them as possible.

Edward raised an eyebrow as he released Jake, who was clean of all sand and mud. He rushed to his owner's side while Bella tied her red apron around her waist.

"What do you think I'm going to do?" He asked curiously, slowly approaching her, but leaving the kitchen island between them.

"I don't know; you just make me nervous." She eyed him suspiciously.

"You know I'd never hurt you, right?" Edward removed himself from behind the island, fully aware of the double meaning to his statement.

"I know." Bella replied coquettishly as she set out the ingredients for dinner on the counter.

Edward slowly came to her side as she began to wash the vegetables in the sink. "Do you need any help?" He asked softly.

"Not tonight, thank you though." She tried her hardest to ignore the way he smelled so good and how every nerve in her body stood on end when he was so close to her.

Unable to control himself Edward stepped closer to her and slowly slid his hand around her waist. She stilled against him, her breathing patterns increased. He brought his nose to the column of her neck, which was exposed due to the fact that she had tied her wet hair up in a ponytail.

Edward breathed her in, noting that she smelled sweet and fresh and he almost laughed aloud wondering if it was possible for someone to smell like sunshine.

"Will you play for me tonight?" He asked softly as he just barely nuzzled her neck.

After a minute she nodded slowly in agreement and relaxed a bit in his hold. Just as Edward brought his lips to ghost over the tender spot right behind Bella's ear, the kitchen phone rang loudly and the two practically jumped apart. The spell they'd been caught under was broken.

"Hello?" Edward spoke into the receiver.

"Where have you been all day?" Jasper asked in exasperation.

"I was busy – is everything okay?" Edward was surprised to hear from Jasper.

"Yeah, no, things are okay, I just had some stuff I needed to talk to you about and Alice'll be back any minute; she'd kill me if she found out I got you on the phone and didn't let her speak with you." Jasper laughed.

"Can you hold on a sec?" Edward asked.

"Sure."

Edward turned just in time to catch Bella pretend she wasn't listening. He knew she had to be curious because he hadn't gotten a single call at the house as Rose was really the only one who bothered to use the land line. "It's my sister's boyfriend." He answered her unspoken question.

Bella looked up at him briefly before returning her attention to cutting up vegetables. "I'm gonna take this upstairs so I don't bother you." Edward told her, "Would you mind hanging it up for me when I call down, please?"

"Of course." She smiled weakly.

Edward went to go upstairs but stopped, "Bella," He waited until she looked up at him, "You can listen in if you want; I don't have anything to hide." He flashed her a brilliant smile and she laughed. Edward wondered if she knew he actually had plenty to hide.

"Bella, I've got it – you can hang up!" He yelled down the stairs once he had picked up the portable phone from his parent's old room.

Edward heard a click, signaling that Bella had indeed hung up the phone, so he proceeded. "Hey buddy, how's everything been?"

"Really? You're gonna fuckin' ask me that like you didn't just take off randomly." Jasper seethed.

"I'm sorry, I—"

"Dude, it's fine." Jasper huffed, "It's just Alice has been climbing the walls since you've been gone. I barely see her anymore, she's been so focused on work, but it's hard to ignore all the questions we get about you." Jasper told Edward.

"I really am sorry about that." Edward did regret that he hadn't taken the time to plan out a proper cover story for where he was.

"I know you are." Jasper sighed.

"Listen, I don't want to sound like an asshole or anything, but is there a reason you called?" Edward didn't really mean to be so blunt, but he didn't want to spend th rest of the conversation waiting for Jasper to drop a bomb on him as he tended to beat around the bush when it came to bad news.

"Oh – uhh, well, I need to book your flight back here for the press tour." Jasper said quickly.

"The press – oh fuck." Edward sat down on his bed, he'd completely forgotten about the press tour he had to do for the second Phillip Kelley movie, which was supposed to be released on Labor Day.

"You have to do it." Jasper said adamantly, "They'll sue you for every penny you've got, then go after Alice. I won't let you—"

"Relax," Edward said, "I know I don't have a choice." He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, "When do I need to leave?"

"They want you here the second week of August to shoot some promotional stuff, then the press junket, we're abroad for a week for foreign press then morning shows in New York before you hit the circuit in L.A. and finish up with the premiere on the 27th. I made sure you didn't have any appearances after that." Jasper finished and Edward could almost picture him on the leather couch in the living room on his blue tooth, scrolling through the dates on his Blackberry.

"Can you ask Alice to start working on a wig? I don't want to do extensions and I hate it when she bleaches my hair." Edward requested.

"I'm pretty sure she's already got one ready, in addition to a closet full of new clothes for you to wear on camera." Jasper and Edward laughed together. "I just need to know where you want to fly in from. I can book something as close as Hayward if you don't mind a connecting flight." Jasper was professional as always, "Unless you want me to charter a private jet."

"No, no, that's not necessary." Edward thought for a moment, "What about Jane? I couldn't fly before because—"

"Dude, you fired her and so did CAA when they got a not-so-anonymous tip about what she'd been doing to you. They assigned you a new agent. I figured you didn't want a publicist and I've taken over the managing duties." Jasper informed Edward.

"Geez, thanks. Uhh – remind me to give you a raise." Edward joked.

"Hey Anthony, give me a raise." Jasper laughed. "Okay, but seriously, what airport?"

Edward thought about leaving from Hayward, but realized he'd rather be safe than sorry. "Better make it Minneapolis." He told Jasper. He knew Duluth was closer, but the twin cities had a bigger airport and there was a better chance he couldn't be traced back to Delta if he left from there. "Can you schedule a flight around noon?" Edward hoped Bella would give him a ride and though she'd lose a day, she'd get home in time for dinner. He didn't want her to have to worry about driving in an unfamiliar place at night.

"Sure. I'll have you fly into Burbank since it's private." Jasper said.

"That'd be great – umm, are you and Alice traveling with me?" The last thing Edward wanted was to be alone, across the Atlantic for a week. Idly he wondered if Bella had ever traveled. He enjoyed the foreign press tour the last time because barely any people knew who he was and nobody thought the first Phillip Kelley movie would amount to anything, let alone the blockbuster phenomenon it became.

"If you'd like us to join you, it can be arranged," Jasper replied diplomatically.

"Baby, who's on the phone?" Edward heard his sister's voice in the background.

"It's Anthony." Jasper barely got out the words before Edward heard Alice rip the Blackberry from her boyfriend's hand.

"Hello? Hello?" She shouted, still in the background.

"I'm on Bluetooth." Jasper told Alice.

There was a bit more scuffling before Edward heard his sister again, "Anthony?" She choked out his name.

"Hi Ally." He said quietly, secretly a bit choked up himself at the sound of her voice.

The second Edward spoke she began to cry hysterically. Edward managed to make out 'I hate you,' 'Where are you?' and 'I miss you,' in between sobs.

"Alice, calm down, take a deep breath or you'll hyperventilate."

"I can't—" She hiccupped, "I'm sorry—"

"Ally, take a deep breath; it's okay." Edward reassured his twin.

It took Alice a few more minutes and a glass of water from Jasper before she could speak coherently again. "Are you okay?" She sniffed.

"I'm doing really well." He smiled to himself.

"Is the Roadster really fixed?" She asked.

Edward laughed, "Yeah. Dad and a friend of his re-built it; they also painted it, it's original color."

"Really? Marina blue!?" She said excitedly.

Edward laughed again, especially since even Alice knew his dad's favorite car wasn't originally black, "Yup."

"Will you tell me about the girl?" Alice tried.

Edward chuckled in embarrassment and raked his hand through his hair, "What do you want to know?" He asked.

"Well everything, but mostly her name and how in love you are with her." Alice giggled.

"Her name is Isabella – err, Bella." Edward corrected himself, "She's the one that helped Dad fix the car, she's an amazing mechanic."

"So when can I expect some nieces and nephews?" Alice asked seriously.

"It's not like that—"

"You can't fool me Edward Anthony Cullen!" Alice declared, "Since when do you ask me for advice about girls?" When Edward didn't answer her question, she answered for him, "What is 'Never' Anthony. The answer we were looking for was 'Never.' The only time we've ever even discussed your love life was when everything went to hell with Tanya—"

"Don't fucking bring her into this." Edward warned. "Bella and Tanya – don't even – just, don't even go there."

"Wow, you've really got it bad for this girl." Alice was stunned.

"Shut up." Edward didn't even bother trying to deny it. He had learned at a very young age that trying to keep things from Alice was nearly impossible and never ended well.

"You said she was beautiful in your letter, what does she look like?" Alice asked.

"She's tiny," Edward laughed, "But I think when people say 'dynamite comes in small packages' they were referring to her. She's got these big beautiful, soulful, brown eyes that are just so expressive and her laugh is just so infectious, you can't help but just – god, I sound like such a fool." Edward said with chagrin.

"No, you sound smitten and let me guess – she has no idea." When it came to Edward, Alice was an expert.

"I shouldn't do anything." Edward said, knowing that the way he'd acted in the kitchen was more than inappropriate, "If she doesn't feel the same, I could put her in a really awkward position and that's the last thing I want to do."

Edward wondered if she felt obligated to tolerate his advances because, essentially her fate in Delta was in his hands. He made a decision then and there on the phone with Alice that unless Bella approached him, he would have to deal with his growing attraction to her and stop making unwarranted advances on her, "I'd rather be friends with her – be a part of her life than ruin it all."

"That's awfully mature of you." Alice sounded a bit surprised with Edward's restraint.

"She deserves that much from me." Edward shook his head, he knew staying away from Bella was easier said than done.

"I guess I better let you go." Alice said sadly.

"Okay, but listen, Jasper's worried about you, don't work so hard." Edward told her, "And you can call me whenever you want; tell Jasper I gave you permission to have the number."

"Thank you." She sniffed.

"I made the right decision." Edward said, "But that doesn't mean I don't miss you every day."

"Me too."

"Bye Ally."

"Oh, Anthony, one more thing," Alice said quickly.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"You should consider a better hiding place for the spare key to your room than the underside of the cookie jar."

"What!?" Edward screeched, but the line had gone dead, "ALICE!"

He stormed back to his parent's room and slammed the phone on the receiver. There was no way he'd be able to sleep in that bed, even with new sheets. He'd have to get a new mattress, but even then if they got into his room there'd be no telling what else they may have contaminated.

"Is everything okay?" Bella could easily tell he was still fuming when he stalked into the kitchen.

"They've been fucking in my room just to piss me off." Edward scowled.

"Watch your language." Bella slapped his hand when he tried to steal a fresh cookie from the cooling rack on the counter, "You can wait." She scolded.

"But you know how much I love chocolate." Edward whined, his bad mood all but forgotten.

"Why do you think I made them?" She smiled before turning to stir something on the stove.

Dinner was unusually quiet, despite the fun they'd had earlier in the day. But all Bella could think about was how close Edward had gotten before dinner and all Edward could think about was how it couldn't happen again. He knew he was abusing his position and the guilt of his earlier actions was killing him.

After putting away the leftovers and finishing the dishes, Bella joined Edward in the front room to play for him while he wrote. However the tension in the room grew so intense that he threw in the towel after forty five minutes because he was unable to focus on anything but Bella's small figure playing sad songs on her piano.

"Bella, I'm gonna go to bed, I'm more tired than I thought." He lied.

"Oh," She seemed disappointed, "Okay, good night then." She closed the lid over the keys.

"Good night." Edward sighed, watching the sway of her hips as she disappeared into the dark kitchen to let Jake out before she turned in for the night.

Edward closed his bedroom door and sunk down to the floor, covering his face with his hands.

Things had been going so well, he should have known better. He should have known better than to flirt so shamelessly with Bella because of course she couldn't tell him to stop, she feared for her job too much. What she didn't know was that Edward would have rather permanently vacated the premises than hurt her in any way.

Edward sat alone in his room for hour, just thinking and writing, always about her. Around one in the morning, he decided to sneak down stairs and steal more of Bella's chocolate chip cookies.

Just like the week before, he opened his door to hear the same haunting melody drifting up to the second floor from the front room.

Edward was frozen on the landing, unsure of what to do, that is until he heard her begin to cry. He silently descended the stairs and the sight of her tear stained face, illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the skylights above her, both filled and broke his heart at the same time.

She was so beautiful and he knew in that moment he needed to figure out a way to get closer to her. The light made her look so pale and fragile, as if he might break her if he touched her, but he had to take that chance.

He cleared his throat softly as he entered the room and made his way toward her. Bella's tearful eyes met his when he sat down next to her on the piano bench and pulled her tiny form, wracked with sobs against him.

Bella cried into is chest until she fell asleep in his strong arms. At that point Edward carried her up the stairs to her room and tucked her into her bed, kissing her tenderly on her forehead before leaving for his own room.

Though he often wondered what had made Bella so upset, he knew better to ask her and sure enough, the next day she acted as if it had never happened.

* * *

**AN:** This is the bonus chapter I promised since I was a jerk last week and posted the update late. Have a nice day!


	7. Chapter 7: August 3

**August 3**

**

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**

_Dear Alice & Jasper,_

_I'm eagerly awaiting my visit to come see you. I'm trying not to think about the fact that this trip is more for business than pleasure. Nevertheless, it will be great to see you both again, as I know that not everything can be translated through a phone conversation or a letter for that matter._

_I should admit that a large part of me is extremely nervous to come back and just be thrown back into the life of a celebrity. The best part about my time away has been living in anonymity and not having to worry about where I go, what I do or who I'm seen with. I left Los Angeles in a very dark place and I'm honestly scared that the second I land in Burbank, I'll be that person again._

_It dawned on me a few days ago that I haven't told either of you I've been writing again. What can I say, but I'm inspired. I still have minor bouts of writer's block, but nothing compared to the three year drought I experienced after Mom and Dad passed._

_The writing's been helping. I don't know exactly what it's going to be yet, but I do know that I love it and I haven't gotten bored writing it yet. Sorry I'm so weird about sharing the topic of my works in progress; too many jinxed half-written manuscripts I suppose._

_The weather's starting to abate here, so I'm sure by the time I return I'll have no need to continue complaining about how muggy it is here._

_I'll turn my cell back on when I land – I don't even want to think about how many voicemails I have. I still can't wait to see you both in a few days._

_Yours,_

_Anthony_

_

* * *

_

Things had been tense between Edward and Bella to say the least. The easy-going, flirtatious relationship they fell into immediately after they called their truce, was non-existent.

On the outside they were all smiles and cordial pleasantries, but when one of them was distracted, the other would stare, trying to figure out what had gone wrong and if there was any hope of fixing it.

Edward was deeply troubled by the fact that Bella seemed to be quite honestly depressed about something she refused to acknowledge. She never made mention of the night he found her crying at the piano and she made damn sure he never caught her in such a state again.

Bella on the other hand, while dealing with her demons, was desperately trying to cling to some semblance of normalcy and did everything she could to convince herself that Edward's sudden coldness had nothing to do with her. But she missed the way they had joked and flirted for those few days, especially since it exhausted her to have to be so guarded around him all the time. She didn't want his pity, but she did want his friendship. Edward made it easier to deal with the fact that the two people who saved her, that had been more like parents to her than her own, were gone – had been gone and certainly weren't coming back.

The first week after the change in their interactions, she focused on teaching Edward her cleaning routine so he'd stop bugging her. The second week Bella threw herself into cooking and showed him the basic techniques his mother had bestowed upon her. The third week Edward was suddenly inspired to write, so she shortened her usual schedule to make more time to play the piano for him.

One day during his writing frenzy, he broke protocol and asked her about the songs she played. Bella nervously admitted that she had written them herself.

"They're all so sad." Edward remarked quietly.

"I told you I was lonely growing up." She replied before she realized what she had said. And she hated the way he looked at her after that statement. Like he wanted to take her pain away – like he wanted to fix her. She was the first to admit she was a lot cause and she liked Edward too much to drag him down with her.

As the day of his flight grew nearer, Edward's mood became darker. He hadn't told Bella he was leaving for several reasons. First, because he feared the second he spoke of it to her, out loud, it would become real and he was doing everything he could to pretend it wasn't actually happening. Second he didn't know how she'd react. Would she be relieved? Saddened? Angry? Confused? And finally he hadn't been able to figure out a good way to tell her or even an excuse as to why he was leaving. He wanted to tell her the truth, but he never even considered that as an option. He knew he'd chicken out and give her some bullshit excuse like 'business.' He even thought about consulting Rose or Alice on the best way to approach Bella with his news. However at the end of the day, he always went with his gut and his gut was telling him to break it to her gently.

Edward woke up extremely early on Monday morning so he could beat Bella down to the kitchen and make her breakfast as a peace offering before telling her about his impending absence and requesting she drive him to the airport in Minneapolis.

He intended on making her biscuits and gravy but he burnt the biscuits and the gravy quickly turned into lumpy, flavorless mush. So he gave up and opted for toast and eggs, disappointed he couldn't offer her something more.

"What do you think you're doing?" Bella's confused, yet sleepy voice questioned as she sauntered into the kitchen with Jake, in her robe and slippers, her hair was in complete disarray.

"I was gonna make you biscuits and gravy for breakfast." He sighed.

"That doesn't look like biscuits and gravy." She laughed as she took a seat at the breakfast bar.

"It's not – those didn't turn out so well." He winced, glancing at the garbage and scooped half of the scrambled eggs onto a plate for Bella.

"Why?" She inquired, her brow knit together as he pushed the plate toward her.

"Well, I burnt the biscuits—"

"No, why are you doing this?" She interrupted him.

"Oh." Edward paused. "I guess I need a favor." He leaned back on the counter, anticipating a negative response.

"Sure, what do you need?" She surprised Edward with her sweet intonation as she began picking at the eggs.

"I was wondering if you would drive me to the airport on Wednesday." He swallowed hard.

Bella's face fell. "Of course," She said in a quiet monotone.

"I don't want to leave, but I have some business to finish up." He blurted out, though she hadn't asked.

"Of course." She said again, staring at the eggs in front of her.

"They probably taste awful – I'm sorry." He said quickly and went to remove the plate from in front of her.

Bella stopped him, grabbing his hand as he reached for the eggs. Their eyes met as the electric current passed through them and their hands flew apart. An awkward silence filled the space between them.

"How long will you be gone?" Bella whispered after a few minutes.

"Three weeks." Edward frowned.

"What airport?" Bella asked mechanically.

"Twin cities. My flight's at noon, so you don't have to worry about driving back in the dark." He wanted her to know that he tried to be considerate about it.

"We'll have to leave around six to account for traffic and airport security. It's a four hour drive to Minneapolis." Bella refused to look at him.

"Thank you." He said kindly.

"You're welcome." She replied softly, "I'm gonna go eat upstairs. Thank you for making me breakfast."

Edward wanted to tell her to stop; he wanted to beg her to stay and eat with him. But most of all he wanted to tell her the truth. He opened his mouth, intent on saying what was really on his mind, but instead he said, "We have to leave at ten for Rose's" Bella agreed to babysit Rose's children days earlier and Chuck had requested – well, thrown a tantrum – demanding that Bella bring Edward with her.

"I haven't forgotten." She sighed.

"I can let Jake out." Edward offered.

"Thanks." Bella rounded the corner, out of Edward's view, though he heard her softly padding up the stairs.

Jake stared at him, unsure of what to do because he wanted to follow Bella, but knew he had a better chance of getting food from Edward. "C'mon boy, let's go outside." Edward ignored the food he had made for himself and patted his thigh, coaxing Jake to follow him.

Edward played fetch with Jake until Bella came outside and told him the truck was ready. He realized if they were taking the truck, Jake was coming along. He wasn't surprised though, she rarely did anything without him and Rose's kids adored the dog.

"EDWARD!" Chuck exclaimed as he tore through the front door, bounding at Edward.

"Hey big guy!" Edward smiled and picked the little cherub up from the ground and followed Bella into the McCarty residence.

"Hi Bells," Rose cheerfully greeted her friend with Dave perched on her hip. "Thanks for doing this."

"You know I don't mind." Bella smiled as she took Dave from Rose's arms, he barely protested. "Morning sweetheart." She kissed his cheek and he hid his face in her shoulder.

"Hi Aunt Bella!" Vera sang obnoxiously.

"What's on the schedule for today?" Bella asked her seriously.

"First we get to do the sprinkler, then we'll have a tea party when Dave takes a nap—"

"I don't want to play tea party!" Chuck whined from Edward's hold.

"Shut up Chuck!" Vera snapped.

"Young lady!" Rose scolded, "Don't tell your brother to shut up or you'll go on time out."

"Sorry Mommy." Vera sulked.

"Maybe Edward and Chuck can play cars while we have a tea party." Bella suggested, combing her fingers through Vera's golden ringlets.

"But I wanted Edward to come." She said in a hushed whisper, as if she didn't want Edward to know.

"Okay, we'll figure something out. What happens after the tea party?" Bella wanted to see what else Vera intended to do that day.

"Then Barbies, Scooby Doo and Hi-ho Cherry-oh." Vera counted the activities off on her hand.

"We've got a busy day ahead of us." Edward commented.

"Yeah, we better get started now!" Vera exclaimed and ran off toward her room.

Edward looked at Bella, bewildered. "She's getting her swimsuit and don't worry." She grinned mischievously, "I brought yours."

"Great." Edward groaned, but secretly hoped his favorite white bikini might make an appearance that morning.

"Try and fit a nap and lunch in for all of them before the tea party," Rose requested as she double checked her purse for every thing she needed. "Walk me out to the car." She said poignantly to Bella; Edward understood he wasn't invited. However, just before they went through the garage door, he heard Rose say, "Anthony's confirmed for the press tour."

Edward frowned, not only because he was still worried Rose would figure out who he was, but also because the word was out and that meant he'd be sure to run into paparazzi outside the airport, which was the warm welcome he had hoped to avoid. "Dammit." Edward muttered under his breath.

"DAMMIT!" Chuck repeated, smiling widely.

Edward's eyes widened in shock and he attempted to convince Chuck that 'dammit' was a secret word only they could say to one another. Though he wasn't sure if it would work because Chuck kept telling him they needed to pick a new one, as his parents knew the word too.

After Rose left, Edward set up the sprinkler while Bella changed. He got his wish as Bella emerged from the house still carrying Dave on her hip in the white suit Edward adored.

"Tuck! Tuck!" Dave shouted, pointing to the driveway.

Edward looked at Bella questioningly, "He learned how to say 'truck' last week and hasn't stopped saying it since." Bella explained, then pointed to the truck in the driveway with Dave and tried to help him properly enunciate the word.

Vera took it upon herself to initiate a game of tag in which Edward was 'it,' so he spent the good portion of the hour chasing Vera and Chuck around and through the sprinkler while Jake followed them, barking playfully the whole time. Bella played with Dave in the kiddie pool, knowing he couldn't keep up with his older siblings.

The three kids all but fell asleep while eating, so Bella put Dave down then laid with Vera while Edward stayed with Chuck until he fell asleep.

Just as Vera planned, they had a tea party. Then Vera and Bella played Barbies while Chuck and Edward played with Hot Wheels. Chuck insisted on picking the Scooby Doo movie to watch, but somehow Vera tricked him into picking the movie she wanted to watch. The afternoon ended with a very veracious game of Hi-ho Cherry-oh, which Vera won, to no one's surprise.

Emmett got home from work right on schedule and thanked Bella profusely for making dinner, as she had time while the kids were watching their movie.

"Think you'll be okay on your own for dinner?" Bella asked as they walked through the front door.

Edward closed the door, but made no move to leave the entryway. He had been acutely aware of the fact that as the day progressed Bella became increasingly short and cold with him.

"Bella," He grabbed her arm, stopping her from going up the stairs, "Did I do or say something to upset you?"

She turned suddenly and glared at him. Edward's hand recoiled, fearing he'd hurt her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"That's the problem!" She cried, "You never do."

"What?" Edward was thoroughly confused, "Is this about the airport?"

"Yes – no – I just—" Bella placed her hands over her face, completely flustered.

She stood on the stairs for a long moment. Edward was too scared to say anything, instead he watched her take a deep breath to compose herself. Her arms slowly fell to her sides and she kept her eyes firmly trained on the ground, "I'm going to bed." She said in an even tone.

"Goodnight Bella." Edward said quietly, accepting her retreat, "Go upstairs Jake." Edward nudged the dog in the rear so Bella didn't have to come back down and get him.

Edward sat down on the steps and rested his chin in his palms, once again questioning where he had gone wrong. Selfishly he wondered how he was going to get to the airport.

He didn't hear a single sound coming from Bella's room when he retired for the evening later that night. And he made a point to stay out of her way the next day, choosing to hang out upstairs in the study, trying to write alone, so she could change the sheets in peace and have space to herself.

Eggs and bacon were left to warm in the microwave for breakfast. She used left over chicken to make soup for lunch and Edward was surprised to find Bella had deviated from her schedule by making his favorite, spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Edward knew it was no coincidence. He desperately wanted to thank her. He also wanted to apologize for whatever he had done to drive her away but he couldn't bring himself to face her.

He ate dinner alone in the kitchen before putting away the leftovers and doing the dishes exactly how Bella liked them done. Edward turned in early after carting his luggage down to the front door so he wouldn't wake Bella up when he left the next morning. He figured he'd drive the Sedan he got in L.A. to Minneapolis – using the air conditioning sparingly of course – and just pay to park it at a lot by the airport. He didn't feel like he had any other option. Edward just hoped that when he returned at the end of the month, he and Bella would be on better terms. The fact was, he kind of adored her and couldn't stand to see her sad, especially knowing it was his fault.

At exactly two in the morning, Edward was torn from a deep sleep by Bella's blood curdling scream, followed by Jake barking. Half asleep and thinking it was Alice who was in trouble, Edward bolted out of bed, sprinted down the hall and practically ripped the door from its hinges trying to get to her.

"What!? What's wrong!? Are you okay!?" He shouted.

The moment he finished, he stopped dead in his tracks to see the scene before him. Bella, clad only in a tank top and a pair of white panties, was pressed against the wall, standing on top of her bed.

"What—" Edward tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

"There!" Bella pointed to the food of the bed where Jake was barking, "On the floor!" She squirmed against the wall, trying to get as far from whatever had frightened her, as possible.

Slowly, Edward padded forward, trying to see what Bella was scared of and as he approached the bed, he saw what had to be the largest spider he'd ever come face to face with.

"Jesus." He groaned, "It's just a spider." He glared at Bella.

"That's not a spider! It's bigger than a raccoon!" Bella shrilled.

"What do you want me to do?" Edward bent over and cringed as it began to move toward him. He wasn't afraid of it, but he didn't like bugs.

"Kill it!" She shrieked.

"Okay, geez." Edward looked around for something to squish it with since he was barefoot. He spotted Bella's discarded book on the bed and took it.

"Oh, not my—" Bella cried out in vain, just before there was a deafening crunch when the back of the book met the spider. "—book." Bella frowned.

"Sorry." Edward apologized and went to wipe the guts off on her trash can.

"Wait – can you put it in your bathroom?" Bella was still pressed against the wall.

"Why?" Edward's brow furrowed.

"In case it's not dead." She whimpered.

Edward turned the book over, "Trust me; it's dead."

"Please…" she begged.

Edward sighed and traipsed across the hall to his bathroom and at the last minute, decided to flush it down the toilet so she wouldn't have to see it when she emptied the garbage later. Just as he went to turn the bathroom light off and return the book to Bella, he got a good look at the cover and had to stifle a laugh.

Bella had been reading a Harlequin romance novel, entitled 'Prescription for Romance,' complete with a bare-chested man in scrubs holding a busty nurse as their hair blew in the wind.

Bella hadn't moved an inch since Edward left the room, "Is it gone?" She choked.

"I flushed it, just to be safe." He told her as he leaned against the door frame, hiding the book behind him.

"Thank god." She breathed as she slid down the wall onto her bed.

"Are you okay?" He asked sweetly.

"Yeah – I'm sorry I woke you up?" She said quickly.

"I'm sorry I interrupted your reading." He smirked and threw the book on the bed, disappearing before she had a chance to respond, though he did hear some faint sputtering noises just before he closed his door. Shaking his head as he turned off the light; Bella never ceased to amaze him. The more he got to know her, the worse he longed for her.

Edward felt like he had just closed his eyes when his alarm sounded, but eventually he was able to stumble out of bed and down the hall to get ready. The hot shower gave him the energy he needed to completely wake up, but he was unable to squash the nagging, ominous feeling he had in the pit of his stomach. He didn't want to go to Los Angeles, he wanted to stay in Delta. . . with Bella.

Emerging from his room, disheartened that he was running early, Edward smelled the unmistakably sweet smell of French toast, coming from downstairs. "What are you doing?" Edward blurted out when he found Bella up and ready in the kitchen.

She started at the sound of his voice and turned quickly to stare at him, "I hate it when you sneak up on me." She turned back around to flip a piece of toast on the stove.

"What are you doing?" He repeated himself.

"Making breakfast." Bella snorted mockingly.

"I can see that, but why? I mean – why are you up so early?" Edward stuttered.

Bella plated the toast and turned to hand it to Edward, "We have to leave in twenty minutes and I didn't want to stop for breakfast." She took the maple syrup from the fridge and set it on the counter.

"We?" Edward said, bewildered.

Bella's eyes met him, "You didn't think I'd go back on my word?" She asked innocently.

"I just thought—" Edward paused, "I didn't think you wanted to…"

"I made you a promise." She said firmly, but not resentfully. Bella mumbled something else under her breath as she turned. Edward didn't quite hear her, but he thought it sounded like she said she wasn't ready to say goodbye to him yet.

"Well, thank you." He sighed wistfully, watching her always graceful form move around the kitchen. "And thanks for breakfast."

"It's the least I could do after last night." She replied nervously.

Edward laughed, "Any time."

They finished the rest of breakfast in silence. When Edward tried to help with the dishes, Bella told him to put his luggage in the Roadster, which she had already taken out of the hanger. After he finished with his task, he took one last look at the house from the foyer, desperately wishing he could stay as he stared at Bella's piano in the parlor.

"Ready?" Bella appeared through the dining room.

"I guess." He sighed and looked down at Jake, smiling up at him, "Take care of Bella for me." Edward scratched his head.

"We're gonna be late." Bella swallowed hard and Edward was worried that she looked a little flush.

"Sorry." He gave Jake one last look before ushering Bella out to the porch and locking the door behind him.

The monotone voices of NPR talk show hosts and soft notes of classical music filled the sports car as Edward and Bella made their way to Minneapolis. They only stopped once along the way and though the silent space between them was charged, it felt so very different than all the other times.

Edward tried not to look at Bella as he got the distinct impression that she was doing everything in her power not to burst out in tears. He wanted to know what was making her so emotional. Secretly – selfishly – he wanted it to be because she'd miss him as much as he knew he'd miss her, but he knew better than to assume anything about Bella.

All too soon, they arrived at the airport. Edward struggled to suppress the bile in his throat as Bella pulled up in front of his terminal.

"I'll call you when I land." He tried to reassure her though he didn't know of what.

"Okay," She stifled and Edward saw her quickly wipe away a tear that escaped.

Unable to ignore his instincts to comfort her any longer, he took a step forward and slowly took her face in his hands, tilting it upwards, forcing her to look at him.

"Bella…" He searched her expression, "What are you scared of?"

Two tears rolled down her cheeks and Edward removed them with the soft pads of his thumbs.

"That… that you won't come back." She breathed.

At the sound of her fears, Edward wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace and just held her close to him the way he had been wanting to for so long. Every curve of her body molded to his. He reveled in the feel of her body heat and small hands desperately clutching at his t-shirt while her tears dampened the fabric.

Running his hand through her silky hair to sooth her, he tried to ingrain everything about her in his memory, her smell, her warmth, her soft skin at the nape of her neck.

He pulled back slightly and looked down at her, "I'm coming back… for you." His eyes pleaded for her to believe him.

"I hope so." She sniffed, eyes smoldering with desire.

And that was all the confirmation Edward needed. He dipped his head down and gently brushed his lips against hers, wanting to let her know how he really felt.

But suddenly Bella's palms pushed against his chest, shoving him away. Edward's heart sank when he saw the completely shocked and bewildered look on Bella's face.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, taking another step back, "Oh god, I'm so sorry." He didn't know what to do; he'd ruined everything. "I – I should go." He stifled, "Good bye Bella."

Watching him rush through the automatic doors after giving her one last, apologetic look over his shoulder, Bella brought her trembling hand to her mouth and lightly brushed her lips with her finger tips, still in awe of what had happened. She hadn't meant to push him away – he'd caught her off guard and she hadn't wanted any kind of physical contact with the only other man that had kissed her. But it was too late to take it back and she realized that Edward was gone… possibly forever.


	8. Chapter 8: August 5

**August 5**

**

* * *

**

_Bella,_

_I messed up._

_I don't know how else to say it without cursing, which I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate._

_I am so sorry I misinterpreted your actions for anything more than what they surely were._

_You have to know it was never my intention to put you in such an awkward position. Though I have never viewed you as my employee, I know that is how you see our situation and I'll never forgive myself for jeopardizing what I had come to see as a great friendship._

_Writing this to you is so much more difficult than I could have imagined and the slight turbulence I'm currently experiencing on my flight has nothing to do with it._

_There just doesn't seem to be a point in lying to you since you have an insanely inane ability to see right through me._

_I like you Bella, I really like you. I like you a lot more than one should like a friend. I've felt this way for a long time. Definitely since our truce, but now that I think about it, probably since the first day I met you._

_I care a great deal about you. I want nothing less than your happiness and I go out of my way to make sure you're taken care of, just as my parents did. And yes, I do realize that's the last thing you want or need from me as you've more than demonstrated complete confidence and independence in everything you do._

_But it's the brief moments when you let me in and let me see the vulnerable side of you that has endeared you to me more than anything._

_I've tried to stay away from you. I've tried to convince myself that I don't want you. But it's a lie. There's so much I want to tell you. There's a lot you don't know about me. But I want to share it all with you. Even if it changes your mind about me – I still want you to know._

_Make no mistake that the extent of our relationship is completely up to you. You know how I feel about you, but our future is in your control. I don't mean to put any sort of pressure on you by letting you have the final say in this decision, but I'm hoping you'll decide to do whatever makes you happy, as that's all that I want. Even if that means you'd prefer I not return to Delta. Should you allow me to stay, but would prefer we keep our relationship professional, I'd understand that as well, and appreciate you letting me stay and enjoy your company._

_Bella, I think you're an extraordinary woman and sitting on this plane, less than an hour after I was finally able to hold you and kiss you the way I've wanted to for so long, all I can think about is how much I already miss you._

_What will I do without your phenomenal cooking, or your musical talent or your positively charming wit? I seem to be lost without you._

_I'm tempted to throw this out, as I know realize how desperate I must sound, but I can't bring myself not to send this to you because it's how I feel._

_Why on earth you would doubt my commitment to returning to Delta – to you – is beyond me, but I can assure you, coming home to you is all that will be on my mind for the next three weeks._

_With complete adoration,_

_Edward_

_

* * *

_

To say Alice was excited to see Edward was the understatement of the century. Had it not been for a conveniently placed pillar behind him, she would have knocked him over upon impact.

She spoke a mile a minute, updating him on every detail of her life, though he already knew most of it, due to their phone calls. Still, he allowed her to talk, because it meant he didn't have to.

Edward was more than annoyed to see the dozen or so paparazzi outside his home when Alice turned down their street. He had tried to hide behind sunglasses, a baseball cap and a hoodie at the airport, which had, much to his surprised, worked.

However, he knew it was inevitable he'd be able to escape the media for long. He was just pleased that nobody had seen his unruly copper hair. Though he knew he'd abhor having to wear a wig and those god awful contacts – oh, he had forgotten about the contacts. Regardless it'd be worth it if he could return to Delta unscathed and in anonymity.

"Did your flight go smoothly?" Jasper asked the moment Edward and Alice walked through the door.

"Did you get me a new mattress and sterilize every surface in the house?" Edward challenged.

"For the last time!" Alice exclaimed, "I was just kidding! You'll find your room locked with a fine layer of dust settled over your things."

Edward breathed in the familiar scent of disinfectant and was pleased that Alice and Jasper had cleaned while he was away, though he would miss helping Bella with the house while he was away. "You better hope so." He pointed at Alice before making his way over to Jasper, giving him a manly half-hug and a pat on the back. "I don't suppose I can ask you a favor already?" Edward hedged.

"Sure, whatever you need." Jasper replied sincerely.

"Can you mail this to Bella?" He handed Jasper the folded letter he'd written on the plane, "Overnight it if you can. I'd go myself, but—"

"Dude, don't worry about it," Jasper waved Edward off and took the letter, "I'll take care of it." He smiled.

"Thank you." Edward took a deep breath, trying not to think about all the things he'd written.

"We have to fit your wig and contacts." Alice said exasperatingly.

"Babe, give him a couple minutes to settle in." Jasper stood up for Edward and he was grateful for it.

"Fine." Alice pouted.

The moment he closed his door, he pulled out his cell and called the house. But there was no answer – it just rang. Edward hung up when he remembered they didn't have an answering machine. They never really needed one.

Frustrated he wouldn't get to hear her voice he dialed Rose's number instead. Vera picked up on the second ring.

"McCarty residence, Vera speaking." She chirped.

"Hi Vera, it's Edward." He sighed.

"Hi Edward!" She beamed and her excitement to speak with him warmed his heart.

"Is your mom home?" He asked.

"Yes." She replied.

When a minute had passed, Edward realized his mistake and said, "Can you put her on the phone, please?"

"Sure!" She dropped the phone with a clatter.

A moment later he heard Rose's voice over the receiver, "Hey Edward, everything okay?" She asked, sounding concerned.

"Uhh – yeah. I told Bella I'd call her when I got to my sister's, but she didn't answer the phone. Maybe she hit traffic on the way home." Edward thought aloud, "Anyway, I'm not sure if I'll have time to call her later, but could you please let her know I got here safely?"

"No problem." Rose responded, "Are you sure everything's okay?"

Edward sighed; Rose was a mother, of course she'd be able to pick up on his discontent, "I'm just worried that Bella isn't home yet." He lied.

"I'll give you a call if I hear from her." Rose obliged.

"I'd really appreciate that." He would have to think of something he could do for Rose to thank her for everything.

"Alright, well – oh, can Chuck talk to you?" Rose laughed.

"Sure." Edward smiled.

"Uncle Edward!" Chuck cried, and Edward wondered if he'd called him uncle before. "I got a new Hot Wheel today!"

"You did!?" Edward humored the little boy.

"It's a Corvette like you and Bella's car!" he said louder than necessary.

"Will you show me when I get back?" Edward asked.

"Duh." Chuck said, "How long is that?"

"Three weeks." Edward said begrudgingly.

"Oh…" Chuck sounded as disappointed as Edward felt, "Will you bring me a present!?"

"Chuck!" Rose hissed in the background.

"Duh," Edward chuckled.

"You better get one for Vera too." Chuck said quickly.

"Good idea." Edward heard a knock on his door, "Hey Chuck, I'm sorry, but I have to go. I'll talk to you soon okay?"

"Okay! Bye Edward!" Chuck hung up the phone loudly.

"Come in." Edward called.

"Who were you talking to?" Alice asked suspiciously.

"A friend." Edward shoved his phone in his pocket.

"Bella?" She raised an eyebrow.

"No." Edward said shortly, upset that she wasn't home yet.

"Sor—reee." Alice stuck her tongue out at Edward, "C'mon, we've got lots to do."

And indeed they did.

The next few days were a whirlwind.

After fitting his wig (which even Edward had to admit looked surprisingly real) it took him almost a half hour to get his contacts in. Because he hadn't shaved since the morning before he left, he looked just about as scruffy as his alter-ego Anthony Masen, was supposed to be.

For appearances sake, he had dinner with Alice, Jasper and his new agent, Angela, at a restaurant, where they were sure to be seen. Alice reasoned that if he gave the paparazzi what they wanted, they wouldn't be so vicious later. Edward didn't have the energy to argue with her.

Angela was a pleasant surprise. She did little to hide just how hard she had fought to get him as a client after Jane had been fired. And though she was certainly precocious, Edward felt her intentions were genuine.

"Listen, I know you don't want to do anymore films right now, but if you change your mind or decide you want to pursue any other careers in the entertainment industry, I'm here to help you out." She smiled from across the table.

Edward thought she was too young to be an actual agent, rather than a junior agent at CAA, but if her attitude was any kind of indication of how seriously she took her job, he understood how she'd climbed the ladder so quickly. And the thought that someone like Angela could get so far in the industry with merely a positive attitude gave him hope.

"Tell you what Angela," he sipped his coffee, "You _can_ do something for me."

"Anything you need Anthony." She was excited by the prospect of helping him.

"I might be interested in publishing something in the future." He confided in her, Alice and Ben looked more than shocked to hear the news.

"What genre?" Angela retrieved a pen and a small steno pad from her bag to take notes.

"Literary fiction, I suppose." Edward said thoughtfully, "But I'd want it published under a pseudonym." He told her.

"Great, I'll look into it. Do you have a manuscript I can look at?" She was all business and seemed un-phased by the fact that he didn't want to parlay his fame into automatic book sales. If anything she seemed to respect him more.

"No, I don't like to share until I'm finished, but I'll get you a copy the moment it's done." He reassured her.

"Perfect." She closed her notebook and shoved it back into her bag.

The next day Edward was up bright and early for a debriefing from the studio regarding the upcoming press tour. He was told they would not be allowing any questions regarding his absence, but should it come up he was instructed to play it off humorously, like the suave Anthony Masen the public knew and loved would. Then he was off to wardrobe fittings with his sister for the rest of the day.

He tried Bella three times that day with no answer. Even though Rose had called to let him know Bella was fine, he still just wanted to hear her voice. Idly, he wondered if she'd gotten his letter. Sinking into his familiar depression, he wrote to her again after lunch and sent Jasper to overnight the new letter.

Friday and Saturday were long days at the studio, spent shooting pick-ups for the third and final installment of the Phillip Kelley movie he had wrapped before moving to Delta. He wrote two letters to Bella each of those days, as he was still unable to reach her on the land line.

He knew she was avoiding him, but he wanted her to know he hadn't given up on her. He though about calling Rose again, but he felt bad putting her in the middle. With each letter he hinted more at the fact that he had something he needed to tell her when he got home. He thought he needed to tell her everything – he wanted to share every part of himself with her. He knew he was bolder in his letters than he could ever be in person with her, but he hoped his honesty in ink might make her realize she needed him as much as he was sure he needed her.

The one upside to the pick-ups and impending press was hanging out with Victoria, as he had always enjoyed her company.

"You look good." She said, sitting down next to him at craft services on the first day of the shoot.

"You're an awful liar." He joked.

"How've you been?" She squeezed his shoulder affectionately.

"Good actually," He tried to convince himself, "I'll be happy when all of this is over."

"What's her name?" Victoria smiled.

Edward gave her a sideways glance, "Am I that transparent?" He chuckled.

"You look sad." She observed, "But not like you used to; you look like you miss her."

"Isabella," Edward smirked at Victoria, "She lets me call her Bella."

Victoria giggled, "Tell me about her."

"She keeps me on my toes. She constantly surprises me. And she has no idea about all of this." Edward gestured to the studio space around them.

"Good." Victoria took a sip of water from a bottle.

Being on set, acting again and keeping up appearances as Anthony Masen felt like an out of body experience for Edward. He went through the motions, but he wasn't really there.

However on Sunday, Edward finally caught a break after a long weekend of re-shoots for his final film. "Anthony, can I talk to you for a sec?" Jasper grabbed Edward between takes.

"Is everything okay?" Edward was concerned with Jasper's tone.

"Well…" Jasper scratched the back of his neck nervously, "Do you want the good news or the bad news first?"

Edward's heart dropped, "Is Bella okay?"

"She's fine," Jasper said quickly, "I mean, I haven't talked to her, but—" He shook his head, "This has nothing to do with her." He tried to stay on track, "So… good or bad?"

Edward sat down in the nearest chair he could find, "Bad." He sighed.

"You have to come back in November." Jasper winced in anticipation of Edward's reaction.

"WHAT!? WHY!?" He shouted, earning the attention of more than half of the cast and crew.

"Calm down Anthony!" Jasper's eyes practically bugged out of his head and he moved to restrain Edward, as he had lunged out of his chair, "They pushed the movie back to a pre-Thanksgiving release because that big animated movie got moved to Memorial Day."

Edward huffed, the last think he wanted to do was come back to Los Angeles again. He needed to go home to Delta and stay there… assuming Bella would still let him. "Then what's the good news?" He said through his teeth.

"You get to go back now. I already booked your flight," Jasper informed Edward, whose jaw had dropped, "You leave LAX at noon, so you'll get into Minneapolis around six because of the time change."

"I could kiss you right now." Edward was in shock. In a little over twenty four hours, he'd be back in Delta.

"Please don't." Jasper laughed, "They're telling the rest of the cast now, but it won't go public 'til tomorrow morning."

"I gotta go make a phone call." Edward said frantically, pulling his cell out of his pocket as he stood, "Thank you Jasper!" He beamed before running off to his dressing room so he could call Bella in private. He desperately wanted her to pick up so he could tell her not only was he coming back, as promised, but that he'd be home early. But just like all the other times he'd called from L.A., she didn't answer. So Edward dialed the only other person he could think of in Delta.

"Hello?"

"Hi Rose." Edward tried to mask the disappointment in his voice.

"How's your trip?" She asked sincerely.

"Okay – listen, I was wondering if I could ask you a huge favor?" He cut to the chase.

"Sure," Rose sounded amused and he could picture her twirling her blonde pony tail with a smirk on her face.

"Can you pick me up from the Minneapolis airport tomorrow night?" He requested nervously.

"I thought you weren't gonna be back for another two weeks." She replied in confusion.

"Uhh – some stuff got moved around and I have to come back in November, but I already scheduled my flight." He tried to be vague and wondered if Rose even knew he was in Los Angeles.

"Isn't this something you want to ask Bella?" She said coyly.

"I tried, but she hasn't answered any of my calls." Edward responded bitterly.

"I suppose she can't ignore the mail." Rose muttered and Edward finally got confirmation that she had, at the very least, received his letters, but by the sound of it, had also read them.

"So, do you think you can pick me up?" He hedged.

"Sure, why not." Rose laughed.

Edward gave her the flight details and told her what route he and Bella had driven, days earlier. "I don't suppose this favor could stay between us?" Edward hoped he could surprise Bella.

"I won't lie to Emmett." Rose said adamantly.

"That's not who I'm talking about." Edward tried to clue her in.

"Oh," Rose got it, "Of course. But she'll be mad that she won't have enough notice to make up your room and get more food." Rose warned him.

"She'll survive." Edward chuckled.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow at six-oh-five. Have a safe flight." Rose smiled.

"Thanks Rose; see you tomorrow, good night." Edward hung up the phone and finished the shoot in the best mood he had been in since he arrived in L.A.

Alice was predictably devastated that he'd be leaving early, but was excited to show him the winter wardrobe she'd procured for him to take back to Wisconsin. She also helped him find some souvenirs for Rose's kids.

Though the paparazzi followed him to the airport, he changed clothes and removed the wig and contacts in the bathroom, he'd have to wait to shave until he got home.

Edward's anticipation and excitement to get back to Delta turned to anxiety as it sunk in that perhaps the reason Bella hadn't been taking his calls was because she didn't return his feelings and didn't want him to stay in Delta. He also tried to formulate some sort of script in his mind so he could gently explain his double life to her. There was no right way to tell someone that everyone else in the world thought you were a different person. He just hoped she'd accept him, regardless.

Edward surprised Rose when he pulled her into a tight hug at the curb, just outside the baggage claim. "Oh my god Rose, it's so good to see you!"

"Was the trip that bad?" Rose wheezed, smothered by his embrace.

"You have no idea." Edward released her, "I'm so glad to be back, I can't thank you enough for picking me up and keeping this quiet." He lifted his luggage into the trunk of her rusty sedan. He would have bought her a new one to say thanks if he thought she'd accept it.

"Trust me, I'm happy to help." Rose hopped in the driver's side and Edward was terribly curious about the annoyance in her tone.

"Should I ask?" He thought aloud as he fastened his seat belt.

"I didn't say anything, but a mutual acquaintance has been on a bit of a war path." Rose chose her words carefully.

"Is that a good or bad thing for me?" He asked.

"You don't have anything to worry about." Rose told him, effectively closing the topic.

He spent the next four hours carefully avoiding the exact nature of his trip when conversing with Rose. A sick part of him wanted to inquire about her love for his celebrity doppelganger, but he thought it best not to tempt fate, especially since he was still rocking Anthony Masen's 5 o'clock shadow.

Edward insisted on buying dinner just before they left the Minneapolis city limits and told her about the gifts he'd picked up for her children on his trip. He learned that Rose originally hailed from Ashland, Wisconsin which was about an hour north of Delta. Rose didn't have the best childhood and filtered in and out of foster homes until she moved in with a nice family. Her strength and ability to stay positive, regardless of all the adversity she faced, impressed Edward beyond words. But he was happy she and Emmett found each other and were able to raise a family like they had apparently both wanted.

Before he knew it, Rose was pulling up in front of his home in Delta. Edward was slightly dismayed that all the lights were out, which meant Bella had gone to bed early and he wouldn't be able to see her until the next morning.

"Thank you so much, for _everything_." Edward hugged Rose after taking his luggage from the trunk.

"Anytime Edward; you're family now." She smiled and he thought about how true her statement really was. He felt so lucky.

After bidding her farewell, he lugged his bags up to the porch and fumbled with his house keys before finding the right one and successfully opening the front door. He knew it'd upset Bella if he left the bags in the foyer, in addition to alerting her to his presence the next morning, so he took special care to be quiet as he dragged them up the stairs, praying he wouldn't wake her or Jake up. He hoped she'd left Jake in the laundry room as she tended to do on most nights.

However, the moment he reached the landing of the second floor, he stopped. The dim light from his reading lamp filtered out into the hallway through the inch or so that his door was cracked. Slowly, unsure of what he would find, he made his way forward and gently pushed the door open, completely unprepared for what he discovered on the other side.

Bella laid fast asleep in his bed, wearing only her underwear and Edward's favorite cardinal red Wisconsin hoodie. Her mahogany hair was fanned out along his pillow and Edward watched her tiny body slowly rise and all with each breath she took. When he stepped forward he discovered another harlequin novel lying open on the floor where she had dropped it after falling asleep.

Unable to resist her, he carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, slowly running his fingers through her soft hair, he admired the serene expression she wore. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, her beautiful long eyelashes dusted over the tops of them and her pretty pink lips were just barely parted in a small pout.

Edward was unsure what would happen the next day when reality sunk in, but in that moment he felt the same, familiar charge run through his body, every time he touched her. He knew he could never leave her and if she didn't want him, he'd spend the rest of his life trying to change her mind. He barely knew anything about her. But what he did know was that he couldn't breath without her and though it scared the shit out of him, the feeling was just as invigorating.

Edward was so lost in thought, he didn't notice when Bella began to blink and lazily take in her surroundings, including the man who was at that moment, caressing her face with his knuckles.

"Edward?" Her quiet voice broke though his mental fog and his loving green eyes met her deep chocolate orbs, brimmed with unshed tears, "What are you doing here?" She whispered, hoping that this wasn't some torturous dream.

"I could ask you the same thing." He gave her a sly grin.

Ignoring his statement, she studied his form, willing him to stay as she tentatively reached out and ghosted her fingers over the fabric of his shirt before grasping it tightly in her fist and pulling him toward her. "Are you really here?" She choked, eyes darting to his, as if to authenticate his identity.

He gave a small nod, unable to break eye contact with her and unwilling to move unless she commanded him to do so.

Bella pulled him closer until he was mere inches from her face; his warm breath played on her lips. "I missed you so much." She breathed.

And those five words were Edward's undoing. His mouth crashed against hers, fingers feverishly wound themselves in her silken locks as they both clambered to get as close as possible to one another. The kiss was pure passion and previously denied lust. Edward had to remind himself several times to keep his hands away from the rest of her body, afraid of what he might do if he allowed himself to touch her.

He thanked the heavens she didn't push him away like she had before. In fact, she had practically initiated it. And when her tongue passed through his lips, he knew without a doubt that she wanted him.

My how she wanted him.

Through the open door, he heard the phone ringing and he knew it was Rose calling to let him know she made it home safely as he'd requested before she left.

Hearing the ringing as well, Bella gently ended the kiss, bowing her head as Edward nuzzled the crook of her neck, both were still panting from the encounter.

The phone continued to sound, so Edward wordlessly stood from the bed and walked across the hall top pick up the cordless phone in his parent's room. "Hello?" He said breathlessly.

"Sorry, I wouldn't have called if I thought I'd be interrupting." Rose chuckled.

"I take it you got home okay?" Edward leaned out the door frame, trying to see if Bella had suddenly come to her senses and run back to her room, locking the door behind her. But he couldn't see anything but the faint light from his room.

"Yeah, so I'll – umm, talk to you tomorrow." Rose held back her laughter.

"Thanks, goodnight." Edward said briskly and hung the phone back on the receiver. He took a deep breath and placed the phone back on the receiver. He took a deep breath before walking back to his room, where he was more than pleased to find Bella waiting for him, exactly where he left her.

"So you got the letters then?" Edward asked huskily as he approached her. She didn't have to verbally confirm his suspicions because the blush on her face spoke for her. "I meant every word." She didn't take her eyes off him as he resumed his place next to her.

She grabbed his shirt again, yanking him toward her as she burrowed her face in his chest while he wrapped his arms around her. "Will you stay with me tonight?" He asked.

Immediately Bella tensed. Edward looked down at her, trying to decipher her reaction. She was scared; he felt guilty for trying to move too quickly. "I just want to hold you." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and was pleased when her body relaxed. He studied her eyes and realized that he had ignored the dark circles under them before. "Bells, you look so tired." He said sadly as he brushed the pad of his thumb along her cheek.

"I – I haven't really been – umm – sleeping well, since – since you left." She stuttered.

Edward smiled softly; she did need him. "Let me go change and then we can go to bed." He squeezed her hand affectionately, "And you don't need that sweater," he said while rifling through his luggage, "I'll keep you warm." He grinned at her before leaving for the bathroom. She giggled and the sound warmed his heart.

After changing quickly, he decided he couldn't stand the scruff on his face any longer, so he shaved, hoping he didn't take too long. But when he got back to his room, Bella was still there, gorgeous as ever, now in a tank top instead of his hoodie, which was neatly folded and placed on top of his dresser.

Edward diverted his eyes from her chest, as the tight fabric of the small shirt clung to her perfect curves. He begged his body to behave and was thankful he had thrown on a pair of pajama pants, though he usually only slept in his boxers. He knew he was pressing his luck asking her to stay; the last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable with his hard on shoved against her all night because he couldn't control himself.

"You shaved." She said drowsily as he strode toward the bed.

"It was bothering me." He told her as he slipped into the bed next to her.

"Good, I like you better like this," she gave him a sleepy smile as her palm slid down his smooth jaw line. "I can't believe you're here." Bella said just before he turned the bedside lamp off.

"Me neither." He sighed happily as he pulled her back to his chest, loving the way her body molded against his.


	9. Chapter 9: August 11

**August 11**

**

* * *

**

_Alice,_

_I belong here._

_If there was ever a doubt in my mind, it's gone now. I know this place isn't for you and I would say that it saddens me, but for some reason I can't help but feel like this time apart has actually brought us closer._

_I haven't been back, since seeing you in L.A., for very long, but I can just feel it in my bones, how very right all of this is. I know I've said it before, but I've never meant it more than I do now, you need to come here. I have to share this place with you._

_Everything about it is just perfect. But the one thing missing is you being able to see it up here and just how happy I am in this environment, surrounded by these wonderful people._

_I do, however, miss you already. And I very much regret not being able to spend more time with you during my short visit. I mean, sure you were around plenty, but we were working and to be perfectly honest, I was wallowing. Though I'm sure you were already aware of that fact._

_Although I am not looking forward to the press tour in November, I am beyond thrilled that you and Jasper have rearranged your schedules so that you might keep me company during my trip. It is more appreciated than you could ever know._

_Please give Jasper my regards and I look forward to speaking with you soon._

_All my love,_

_Anthony_

_

* * *

_

Edward groaned and rolled over in his bed, reaching for the warm body he thought was next to him. However, he found himself alone, tangled in his sheets, although thankfully still at his home in Delta. His first thought was, 'Where's Bella?' but immediately he wondered if perhaps he'd only imagined that she'd stayed the night with him.

Raking his hand through his bed head, he got up from the bed and saw his hoodie, still neatly folded on the dresser and Bella's romance novel sat askew on his nightstand – at the very least, she had been in his room.

He all but stumbled into the bathroom to relieve himself and brush his teeth. He rolled his eyes at his reflection, noting that he already needed to shave again, but he wanted to find Bella first.

Quietly, Edward padded down the stairs, but he was surprised when he didn't find Bella in the kitchen. Instead she was sitting on the sun porch with a cup of coffee in her hands as she gazed out the window, watching Jake chase ducks down by the dock.

"I wasn't very happy to wake up alone." Edward finally spoke, standing at the threshold of the sunroom.

Bella practically fell out of her seat and almost spilled scalding coffee all over herself, "Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed, "Stop doing that!" She glared at him angrily.

"Sorry," He replied sheepishly, "I didn't mean to scare you; I just wish you would have slept in with me." He slid into the booth next to her.

Bella shifted in unease and continued to watch Jake outside, rather than responding to Edward.

He frowned at her ambivalence and when a few minutes passed without another word between them, he assumed the worst, "You changed your mind…" Edward's heart sunk and a lump formed in his throat.

Bella turned suddenly to face him, "What!?" She searched his eyes, hurt by the accusation, "No! I just – I –" She paused, trying to find the right words to explain. Her gaze faltered and she stared at the countertop, while Edward tried to understand. In an attempt to appease her, he found Bella's hand in her lap and threaded his fingers through her own.

"It's okay if you did…" Above all else, he didn't want her to feel like she didn't have a choice.

She looked at him then and sighed, "I've been sitting down here… for three hours, trying to figure out – for the life of me, I just can't understand why—" She shook her head and broke their eye contact before whispering, "Why you'd want me."

"Bella…"

She squeezed his hand, "You don't know anything about me. You have no idea how much baggage…" Her jaw clenched.

"It doesn't matter." He moved closer to her, running his free hand through her hair. She leaned into his touch, "We all have secrets…"

"Apparently," She laughed humorlessly, then dared to look at him again, "So when are you gonna tell me yours?"

"I was wondering when you were gonna ask me about that." He smirked.

"So…" She eyed him warily.

Edward took a moment, trying to remember the dialogue he'd gone over in his head during his last flight. But his mind was blank. "I lied to you about my trip – well, not technically, but kind of…" He backtracked, "I said I went back to L.A. for business," He chanced a glance at her. Bella was watching him intently, as well as bracing herself for his confession.

"I was there for a press tour – for a movie." He ran his thumb over her knuckles, "You know that actor Rose likes…"

"Anthony Masen?" Bella said quietly.

"Yeah," Edward nodded, "Well, I'm kind of him – I mean, it's just a stage name and all those stories in the papers aren't true." He babbled quickly.

"Oh." She replied, rather dejectedly.

Edward was unable to read her expression. "Now you really have changed your mind." He swallowed hard, in disgust.

"No!" She said immediately, squeezing his hand again, reassuring him, "It's just… I already knew that." Bella tried to be gentle.

Edward let out the breath he'd been holding in with a whoosh. He felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. "You – you what? You knew?" He choked.

"I didn't know it was a secret." Bella moved closer to him, afraid she'd upset him, "I just thought you didn't want to talk about it."

"How – how did you…" Edward stuttered, still reeling from the revelation, "Does Rose know!?" He shouted suddenly.

"Well, she's kind of the one who figured it out." Bella winced.

"Wait – how long have you known?" Edward was confused.

Bella took a minute to think, "After the fourth of July. I guess Rose had her suspicions because she thought you looked so familiar and when I said you had a sister named Alice who lived in Los Angeles, she put it together. But she said you have different hair and contacts." Bella slowly reached out and brought her palm to his cheek, "And he doesn't shave," she smiled, "But you look so much more handsome like this."

"You're always beautiful." He countered and placed his hand over hers, admiring the red tinge that crept along her cheeks because of his complement.

"So that's it? That was your secret?" She hedged, nervously.

Edward chuckled at her apprehension, "Yeah – what did you think it was?"

"Murder, robbery, ten wives in different states, secret agent…" she rattled off. Edward looked at her incredulously, "What!?" She guffawed, "I have a very over active imagination and I was stuck here, alone – without you. What was I supposed to think?" She laughed in relief.

"Did you really miss me?" He responded, suddenly serious again.

Bella shook her head, clearly embarrassed, "It's just – I've gotten used to you and you—" Bella stopped, her eyes traveled up to Edward's face to meet his, "You make me feel safe." She said with chagrin.

"Really?" Edward edged closer, flattered by her honesty.

She nodded.

Edward smiled.

"So, I showed you mine – kind of – will you show me yours?" He asked, "Tell me one of your secrets." He whispered huskily in her ear, but moved back quickly when he realized she'd gone stiff and her breathing had become erratic. "I'm sorry – I was just playing." He tucked her hair behind her ear, "I'm sorry Bella." Edward tried to get a response from her. When she remained motionless, he used his thumb and forefinger to tip her chin up so she'd look at him. "Bella, I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to." He panicked.

"I know," she breathed, "I'll tell you everything – just not now, I can't—"

"Bells," Edward cut her off, "You don't have to justify anything. It's your business." He tried to convince her, "I just want to get to know you better."

"I don't deserve you," Bella mumbled, tucking her face into the crook of his neck.

"That's not true." Edward wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him. Gently he kissed the top of her head. After a few minutes, Bella grew restless in his arms, "Is there anymore coffee?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'll get—"

Edward pulled Bella back down, as she had moved to get up, "I'll get it." He smiled at her and squeezed her shoulder, "You stay right there. Can I get _you_ anything?" He raised an eyebrow at her while he backed into the kitchen.

Bella giggled and shook her head at his tone. But the moment he turned his back on her, she got up anyway to let Jake in from outside.

"You told me why you left," Bella squatted down to pull out Jake's food from a lower cabinet, "But you never said why you came back early."

"Oh, I can leave if you don't want me here." Edward joked

Bella nudged him as she passed him on her way to Jake. "Quiet, you," She laughed.

"They pushed the movie back. It's gonna come out around Thanksgiving instead." Edward took a sip of his coffee.

"Rose is gonna be pissed." Bella grinned.

"I bet." Edward chuckled.

"So you have to go back in November, then?" Bella guessed correctly, her voice took on a melancholy tone.

"Yeah." Edward frowned. He looked up from his coffee to find Bella leaning against the kitchen island across from him. He set his coffee down and closed the distance between them, "You could come with me, ya know?" He whispered into her hair, pressing his body up against hers.

"No, I don't think so." She shook her head against him.

"It won't be very long… a couple weeks." Edward said softly as he rubbed his thumb over the fine hair at the base of Bella's neck.

"Edward…" Bella half-heartedly shoved against him. He took a step back and looked down at her, "Ugh – I can't believe I'm gonna ask you this…" She grimaced and brought her hands to his chest. First her palms were flat against his stomach, but then she fisted the material of his shirt between her fingers, "I need to know what this is." She peered up at Edward through her lashes, "And I don't want some bullshit, 'whatever you want it to be' answer." She called him out preventatively.

"You just said a swear word." Edward teased, bringing his index finger to the tip of her nose.

Bella shoved his hand away, "I'm serious." She whined as she pushed herself off the counter toward the sunroom.

"Hey…" Edward grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him.

"Edward, this is my life—" She began.

"And it's different for me?" His brow furrowed.

Bella stopped and took a good look at Edward. She knew he was serious, but she just wasn't sure if he actually understood, "Edward, if this doesn't work out…" She didn't want to be pessimistic, but she had to take care of herself first and foremost, "I won't have anywhere to go." She finished quietly.

Edward nodded silently. He truly did understand. It was the only reason he'd stayed away from her for so long – he didn't want to put her in this position. "Bella…" Edward took her hands, "I'm serious about us – this." He tried, "But I was also serious when I wrote those letters. I told you if you didn't want me – if I made you uncomfortable that I would leave. I don't want you to be scared to give us a chance."

"But this is _your_ home." In the back of her mind, she knew he would leave, but she had been conditioned not to trust anyone.

"It was _yours_ first." He said finally.

"You'd really – just – walk away?" She asked with a furrowed brow.

"If that's what you wanted me to do." His eyes softened, hoping it would never come to that.

"But you don't even know me!" She protested.

"Hey—" Edward paced forward, pinning Bella between himself and the counter, "I know you well enough to know that you love taking care of others more than yourself. I know the only time someone would have any idea that you're not completely happy here is when you play sad songs for me on your piano. I know you read all those silly romance novels because secretly you want to be swept off your feet like that some day. And I know that I can be that man for you."

Bella's mouth fell open in wordless awe as tears brimmed her eyes.

"God, I want to kiss you." Edward breathed.

Bella stood on her tip toes so she could reach him. Her mouth sought him out in desperation. Her fingers threaded through his hair, pulling him even closer.

Edward groaned and inadvertently pressed his growing erection against her stomach. But either she was unaware of the problem or just didn't care. Bella whimpered into his mouth as he took his time sucking and nipping on her bottom lip before sweeping his tongue in her mouth, relishing the taste of coffee permeating her lips. He allowed his hands to slowly run down her sides until his palms were over the perfect curves of her ass. She moaned loudly when he grabbed her gently, bringing her even closer to him.

Gradually their kiss ended; punctuated by slow, languid kisses minus the juvenile groping.

"Is boyfriend okay?" Edward panted, kissing her soft, swollen lips again, "It seems like an inadequate label…" He kissed the corner of her mouth, "But I just don't want…" then the other corner, "Anyone else." He bent lower and ran his tongue across her collarbone, blowing on the damp skin, causing goose bumps to form there.

Bella sighed in content, "You always know the right thing to say…" Her eyes rolled back into her head, unable to handle his ministrations and the way he made her body feel. She was puddy in his hands.

"Will you stay with me again tonight? It felt so good to have you in my bed." Edward sucked on the skin just behind her ear.

"I don't think that's a good idea…" She said apprehensively.

Her verbal rejection brought Edward out of his lust filled haze, "Why not?" He asked, trying not to pressure her.

"Here's a secret about me—" Her hooded gaze met his, "It's been a while – a _long_ while. I'm afraid you're gonna expect things from me that I can't—"

"Bella, I don't expect anything from you." Edward rubbed her back soothingly, "But I completely understand if you don't want to sleep with me. Although I can assure you, if you change your mind, sleeping is all we'll be doing."

"Still, I just – I better not. I'm not sure I even trust myself." Bella thought out loud.

"Regardless, it's an open invitation." He kissed her temple.

"I need you to go slow with me." She bit her lip nervously.

"Of course." Edward complied, just happy that she was willing to give them a shot, "You just have to promise you'll tell me when to cool off, or if you want more." He worried she might not communicate with him, fearful of his reaction, "I mean it." He reiterated.

"Okay, deal." She smiled up at him. "So… now what?"

"I haven't been able to write a single word since I left." Edward reluctantly separated himself from Bella to find his coffee on the other side of the kitchen. "I'm desperate to hear you play for me."

"That's not true – you wrote those letters." Bella said suggestively as she approached him.

"Oh – those? You got those?" He feigned innocence, "Not my best work." He shrugged.

"No one's ever done something so romantic for me." She ran her palm over his chest again.

"You better get used to it." He tugged her hand, bringing her body flush against his, "I'm gonna read all your trashy novels…" he leaned down and kissed her mouth, "And take notes."

"No, don't…" She giggled. "There are naughty things in those books."

"Now I know why you like them so much." Edward licked his lips, "Bella, you dirty girl."

Bella squealed, trying to squirm out of his tight hold.

"We'll get to those parts eventually." Edward breathed lowly into her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "I'm awfully patient Bells." He threatened.

"You better hope so, pal." She finally escaped his grasp and jogged into the living room, where she began to play almost immediately.

Edward wrote for most of the day, until they had to leave for dinner.

Rose knew things went well, given her brief phone conversation with Edward the night before. However, any doubts in her mind were effectively quelled when Edward and Bella arrived, right on time for dinner, just like every Friday before. And Rose wasn't the only one who noticed.

Edward held the door open for Bella, even though he was carrying all the groceries.

"Mommy! They're so in love!" Vera yelled to her mother when she saw them enter.

"Vera – don't be rude!" Rose rounded the corner, wringing her hands on a dish towel. But then she saw Edward and Bella who were not only frozen in the foyer upon hearing Vera's declaration, but also beet red. "Nevermind." Rose smirked and took a bag from Edward.

"Can I be flower girl?" Vera peered up at Bella.

"Only if you're good." Edward spoke for Bella, patted Vera on the head and strode into the kitchen after Rose.

"You could have told me." Edward heard Rose whisper to Bella when she eventually found her way into the room.

For once, Bella was tongue-tied and Edward didn't know what to do to alleviate the situation. Luckily, Chuck tore through the room and immediately latched onto Edward's leg.

"I missed you Uncle Edward!" He cried.

Edward picked up the toddler, "I missed you too kiddo!" He smiled, "And I brought you something."

Chuck's eyes widened and Edward handed him a scale model of a red Lamborghini, "They have these all over California." Edward told Chuck.

"Thanks Edward!" Chuck clutched the toy car like his life depended on it. Edward set him down to go play and heard an angry gasp behind him.

Vera stood in the kitchen, arms crossed, her mother's patented glare and matching scowl in place, "Oh c'mon Vera, you didn't think I'd forget you." He winked at the little girl and handed her a fancy wrapped package.

Carefully she removed the ribbon and paper and let out a strangled cry when she saw the designer Malibu Barbie, Edward had kindly asked his sister to pick out for her.

"She's so pretty…" Vera murmured, stroking the box, "Thank you Edward."

"Take good care of her." Edward told Vera.

She nodded and slowly walked to her room.

"You're gonna spoil them rotten." Rose rolled her eyes.

"So you and Emmett don't want the wine I got you from Napa?" He quirked a brow.

"Hand it over." She said immediately; Edward complied.

"I got Dave some beach toys." Edward began to unpack the food he and Bella brought over, "I didn't want him to feel left out."

"Why don't you go wake him up and show him." Rose instructed Edward, then grinned at Bella, "We've got some catching up to do anyway."

Bella looked at him, a bit frightened, but there was nothing he could do. Consequently, Dave loved the toys and Chuck even let him hold his car for a moment. Vera tried to explain to Chuck that his car was the kind of vehicle Ken would drive and how Ken and Barbie were almost as in love as Edward and Bella and that since she was going to be the flower girl, maybe if he asked nicely, Chuck could be the ring bearer. But Dave was a baby, so he couldn't do anything to help.

Dinner was awkward to say the least. Rose kept making sexually suggestive comments to which Edward would blanch and Bella would either blush or kick Rose under the table. Emmett was blissfully unaware of everything going on and asked Edward about his trip instead.

After they had all eaten their fill, Edward offered to do the dishes while Bella helped Emmett put the kids to bed.

"Do I need to ask what your intentions are?" Rose came along side him, scaring him so much that he almost dropped the plate he was washing.

"I've been meaning to get you alone so I could ask for your blessing – officially." Edward commented.

"I'll castrate you if you hurt her." Rose said with a toothy grin.

"I know that." Edward said flatly. Then after a beat, asked, "So, why didn't you say anything about Anthony Masen?"

Rose's jaw clenched, "Oh, yeah, how was I supposed to start that conversation?" She snapped.

"I'll autograph anything you want." He laughed.

"Good – I'm gonna take you up on that. I'll make a pretty penny on eBay." She started putting away the dishes he'd finished drying.

"You know I'm not that guy—"

"I know. I might be a fan of your work, but you've got nothing to worry about. I have no interest in selling you out. But I am gonna make you sign a ton of shit for my friends online and I want to know every detail about the last Philip Kelley movie." Rose chattered.

"You're sure you want to be spoiled?" He smiled.

"Oh, I already read a leaked version of the script. I want set gossip." She said seriously.

"Yeah, but that script wasn't the final draft; we filmed three different endings." Edward said dramatically.

"What!?" Rose exclaimed, "I have to know!"

But he never got the chance. Bella and Emmett returned from bedtime duty and Bella politely told Rose and Emmett that they had to get going because they had stuff to do at home.

"I bet you do." Rose snorted.

"Rosie, what's with you tonight?" Emmett asked her, befuddled by her behavior. He turned to Edward and Bella "And why does Vera think you two are getting married?"

Rose burst out in laughter.

"What? Are you?" Emmett asked Edward.

"No – just an inside joke; it's not even funny." Edward told him.

Emmett shrugged, "Thanks for the wine and it was nice of you to think of the kids while you were away on business."

"Anytime. Thanks for having us over for dinner." Edward replied politely, even though Bella had been the one to cook as usual.

Edward and Bella made it out to the car without incident, thankfully, but Edward couldn't help his curiosity, "What did she say to you while I was playing with the kids?"

"Nothing. She was just being vulgar. Asking if I wanted her to buy condoms for me and saying you were practicing with her kids because you were going to make an honest woman out of me before the year is out." Bella blurted out angrily.

"Oh…" Edward rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. "Well, don't worry, I have condoms."

"Ugh!" Bella shoved him away as they both began to laugh, thankful that they were alone with each other again.


	10. Chapter 10: September 13

**September 13**

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_Sweetheart,_

_I couldn't sleep any longer, so I got up early to take Jake for a run. Help yourself to the coffee I made._

_Don't forget Rose's family is coming over earlier than everyone else for the game. I'll help you with the food when I get back._

_XO, Edward_

_

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_

A little over five weeks after Edward returned home and things with Bella couldn't have been going any better. Thankfully, Rose had stopped teasing them when Edward took her aside and explained how awkward and embarrassed she was making Bella feel.

The two of them settled into a comfortable and affectionate new routine. Each morning Edward woke up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and whatever delicious food Bella made for breakfast. They'd eat together in the sunroom while Jake frolicked outside.

Edward was allowed to do the morning dishes while Bella started her chores for the day. When he finished he'd read in the library until she was done with her housework and called him for lunch. Bella was a genius when it came to re-purposing leftovers into new meals.

After lunch, Bella would play the piano all afternoon while Edward wrote. And each night they made dinner together. Carefully dancing around each other in the small space, but enjoying each other's company too much to notice anything else.

In the evenings they'd cuddle up together in the library or in front of the widescreen TV in the basement, depending on what was on TV. Although they usually ended up talking instead of paying attention to what they were reading or watching.

And when they were both too tired to talk anymore, Edward would escort Bella to her room, where he'd place a chaste kiss on her lips, telling her to have sweet dreams before retiring to his own room.

However, there was a growing tension between them, hidden just below the surface of their chemistry. For as much as they talked, Bella was very careful to avoid talking about anything that happened in her life before she moved to Delta. It was as if she didn't exist before then. The little information she had accidentally let slip put her into a funk, so Edward never tried to initiate a conversation about her past, lest he upset her.

But the longer she avoided the subject, the more curious Edward became and the more he felt she didn't completely trust him. This fact wouldn't have worried him half as much if he believed that she would eventually open up to him, but she was far harder to crack than he could have ever imagined. Yet that made him all the more determined.

Their physical intimacy seemed to be just as stunted as their relationship was emotionally. The interaction between Edward and Bella was punctuated with small, gentle touches, hand holding, cuddling and playful flirting. Occasionally a short and tender kiss would turn into something more heated, but Bella always ended up pulling away.

It got to the point where the sexual tension was so palpable that both Edward and Bella were in a constant state of arousal. It was difficult for both of them, but Bella was far from ready to take things further and Edward couldn't find it in his heart to pressure her into anything when he was still so pleased that she agreed to be involved with him in a romantic relationship at all.

He was in love with her and he was well aware of how deep his feeling ran. So the last thing he wanted to do was scare her away. It was a delicate balance that Edward worked very hard to keep in check.

When Edward returned from his run, he left Jake outside because he refused to follow him to the porch, wanting to play outside more.

Edward was quiet when he made his way inside. He hadn't worn his watch, so he didn't know if Bella was still asleep. Softly stepping into the kitchen to grab another cup of coffee before showering, Edward smiled when he saw Bella's hips swaying to a silent melody as she kneaded bread dough. The fact that she was wearing Edward's favorite tight jeans under her favorite red apron only enticed him further – they made her backside look beyond amazing.

"Morning honey," Edward whispered as he wrapped his hands around her waist from behind.

"Edward!" She screeched, startled by his sudden appearance.

"Sorry," He kissed her just behind her ear, "What are we making?" He rested his chin on her shoulder.

Bella stopped kneading, "_We_ are not making anything." She spun around, "You're—" Her breath caught in her throat when she laid eyes on Edward.

"What?" He said puzzled, "I'm what?" He looked down.

"Sweaty." Bella gulped.

Edward raised an eyebrow, amused that she was very clearly turned on by his appearance.

"Is that a problem?" He whispered, stepping toward her so she was pinned between him and the counter.

Without warning, Bella coiled her hands around Edward's neck, pulling his mouth down to meet hers. She practically shoved her tongue in his mouth while he took his time sucking on her bottom lip between his own. She pressed herself roughly against Edward; he groaned in response as his erection had yet again become a painful reminder of how much he wanted her when he couldn't have her.

When her little fingers twined through his hair and tugged on his scalp he grunted before grabbing her ass, swiftly picking her up and setting her on the empty counter, next to her dough. Taking a chance he skimmed his hands under the hem of her shirt, running his fingers along the bare skin at the small of her back.

"Edward…" She moaned, wrapping her legs around his hips, which caused him to press himself against the heated apex of her thighs. Caught up in the moment, Bella bit down on Edward's bottom lip.

"Ow!" Edward winced at the sharp pain.

"I'm sorry…" Bella murmured and tentatively brought the pink tip of her tongue out to sweep it over the small trickle of blood on the corner of his mouth.

Suddenly both of them became aware of where they were and the breach of established protocol that had just happened.

"Fuck." Edward muttered.

"Don't swear." Bella said quietly, bringing her palm to his jaw line, "Did I hurt you?" She looked up at him through her lashes, deep pools of chocolate laced with guilt.

"No sweetheart." He slowly shook his head, willing his dick to soften. "It's my fault – I was too rough with you." Edward rubbed his nose against Bella's before gripping her waist and setting her back down on the ground.

"I don't mind so much." Bella said quietly, unwilling to make eye contact with Edward upon her confession.

He chuckled lightly, "If you'll excuse me, I have to go take a very cold shower." Edward kissed the top her head, interested that she sighed as he walked upstairs.

Edward began to wonder if perhaps the fact that he hadn't tried to push anything physically with Bella made her think that he didn't want her nearly as much as he did. He wasn't sure if it'd be rude to ask her; it wasn't as if he could ask Alice… maybe Jasper though.

After showering and a quick but necessary release, Edward walked across the hall to his room, only to catch Bella, just as she was setting a shirt down on his bed.

"Oh." She squeaked and immediately her eyes fell to the ground, away from his bare, wet chest. Her cheeks were instantly crimson.

"It's okay Bells." Edward rubbed her arm, "What've you got there?" He kissed her cheek and sat down on the bed, careful that the towel around his waist covered everything adequately.

Bella picked the shirt back up and handed it to Edward, still avoiding his gaze. "It's Emmett's. You don't have a Packer shirt and I thought you might feel out of place when everyone came over. They really go all out." She prattled.

Edward was curious why she'd borrowed a shirt from Emmett instead of just buying a new one, but quickly it occurred to him she didn't have any money to do so. He knew she'd never misuse the account his parents let her use to buy things for the house. He wanted to rectify the situation as soon as possible.

"You are so sweet." Edward gently took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. "Thank you Bella." He smiled up at her, finally catching her eyes. She was happy she'd pleased him.

"You're welcome." She said bashfully and for the life of himself, Edward couldn't figure out how someone who was so fiercely confident could be rendered so timid in front of him.

"Why are you so embarrassed to see me like this?" Edward blurted out.

Bella let out a nervous laugh and slipped her hand out of his as she stepped away, "You think this—" she waved her hand at him, "Embarrasses me?" She snorted.

"Well, you certainly seem embarrassed about something." Edward stood up and Bella took another step away from him, inching closer to the door.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll stay right there, unless you want a repeat performance of what happened downstairs." She swallowed hard and took another step toward the door.

And then it dawned on him.

She wanted him.

She wanted him very badly.

She wasn't embarrassed; she was trying to control herself.

"I wouldn't mind so much," He mimicked her earlier sentiments with a predatory edge to his voice.

Bella blanched, "I don't want you to get the wrong impression." She said quickly and ducked out the door before Edward could respond. He was completely baffled by her last statement and mixed messages.

After throwing on a pair of jeans and the Packer shirt Bella had so kindly procured for him, he headed downstairs and rather than bother Bella any further, went outside to let Jake in. He made sure to wipe the mud off his paws before allowing Jake in, Edward didn't want to make more work for Bella if he tracked anything into the house.

Edward noticed Bella assembling snacks on serving platters when he came back inside, but he headed to the basement to re-arrange the furniture around the TV as Bella had asked him earlier.

"Need any help?" Bella offered sincerely as she set two trays down on the coffee table.

"I've got it, thanks." Edward told her.

"Be good," She warned Jake as he sniffed the food sitting right at his level.

"What else do you need me to do?" Edward switched the television on and flipped it to the channel that the Packer game would be on later.

"Can you help me chop vegetables for the roast?" She patted her thigh so Jake would follow her, "You're faster than me."

Edward smiled, "I'll be right up."

When Edward finished with the furniture, he made quick work of the vegetables for Bella and barely had a moment to breath before the doorbell rang and he was ushering Rose, Emmett and the kids into the house.

"Nice shirt," Emmett joked.

Edward looked down, "Oh – yeah, thanks." He grinned sheepishly.

"Can we play Wii?" Vera looked up at Edward.

"Vera, I told you we're watching the game." Rose scolded her eldest, then looked at Edward, "Sorry, I already told her, but she said it was your house, and I couldn't decide for you."

"That's okay," he walked the family through the foyer, "Maybe later Vera, but I know Jake will be sad if you don't play with him. He's been waiting for you all morning!"

Vera grinned at the suggestion, "C'mon Chuck!" She grabbed her little brother's hand and ran toward the kitchen calling for Jake.

Edward took a sleeping Dave and his diaper bag from Rose and told her and Emmett to relax downstairs. He sat down in the sunroom with the infant, cradling him closely. He couldn't help but let his mind wander, thinking about what it would be like to be a father someday. Dave was such a quiet baby, always content as long as he had a warm body to snuggle against.

"Hey," Bella said softly, sliding into the bench next to him, "Rose says he's never quieter than when he's with you."

Edward wrapped his free arm around Bella's shoulder, "Kid's got good taste." Edward laughed.

Bella leaned her head on Edward's shoulder, "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure," He twisted a strand of her hair loosely between his fingers.

"The rest of the town doesn't really know about us—"

"It's fine, don't worry about it." Edward understood she was asking him to keep his hands to himself and the flirting to a minimum.

"It's just, I hate being the subject of gossip. I don't like that kind of attention." She explained, nuzzling her face into his chest.

"I don't take is personally Bells." He kissed her forehead, hoping that she understood he was telling her the truth.

"You guys are so sweet, it's giving me a toothache." Rose complained, "He's all yours, if you want him." She nodded toward Dave.

"You're all talk Rose; you'd never give him up." Edward smirked.

"Alright, you called my bluff." She rolled her eyes and held her arms out to collect her youngest son, "But Vera and Chuck are a different story." She pointed at Edward, "Hank and Buddy will be here in a minute." She warned Edward and Bella before turning on her heel and heading back downstairs after grabbing a beer out of the fridge for Emmett.

Unwilling to let Edward go, just yet, Bella wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his chin. Edward smiled and pulled her closer, "You know I always want you, right?" He mumbled into her hair.

She didn't respond.

"Because I do." He combed his fingers through her soft waves, "I don't push you because you promised you'd tell me what you needed."

"I know." She snuggled further into his chest.

"All you have to do is tell me what you want – what you need – and I'll do it." He told her.

Bella had just opened her mouth to respond when the doorbell rang. She sighed and kissed him quickly on the lips before sliding off the bench to get the door.

Edward watched half the town parade through the kitchen and down the stairs into his basement. Apparently he had the largest TV in Delta, so Bella had warned him to 'get used to it' and said even more people would show up when the Badger football games aired on the Big Ten Network because he was also the only one in the immediate area that had satellite.

As everyone passed, he caught bits of conversations. The talk of the town seemed to be a very large and very severe thunderstorm that was due to pass through Delta over night. He waited in the kitchen for a few of the stragglers and found a spot to lounge on the floor in the basement where he was a good distance from Bella but had a decent view of her. Edward loved to watch her interact with other people. She was so outgoing, her sweet personality was impossible not to love.

Everyone debated the merits of each team, though Edward's company was extremely biased and often had nothing nice to say about the Packer's opponent and perennial rival, the Chicago Bears.

When the pre-game show was over, Edward followed Bella upstairs to help clean up the hors d'œuvres and check on the brats that were soaking in beer on the stove. However, when they got to the kitchen, Bella grabbed Edward's hand after they had deposited the empty serving trays in the sink and led him into the laundry room before locking the door behind them.

"Why Isabella Swan—" Edward smirked in the dimly lit room.

"Shut up," she scowled and hopped up on the dryer, "C'mere." She motioned her index finger for him to come toward her.

It was the most assertive Edward had seen her in a long time, so he quickly obeyed. Gently he rested his open palms on her cheeks and tilted her head up to place a tender kiss on her mouth.

When Edward slowly withdrew, the fact that Bella's eyes were still closed, in addition to the content smile upon her lips made his heart swell. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Her hands rubbed up and down his back, soothingly.

"I just missed you." She mumbled into his chest, answering the question he wanted to ask, "I think I take you for granted."

"No you don't." Edward disagreed, stroking her hair affectionately.

They stayed that way for a bit before they heard a few people upstairs and realized that the first quarter was already done.

"You stay in here." Bella hopped off the dryer, "I'll let you know when the coast is clear."

"Wait." Edward grabbed her hand that wasn't on the door handle. She spun around just as Edward hunched over to press his lips against hers in a quick but heated kiss, "I just can't get enough of you." He chuckled darkly.

"Pervert," She accused.

"Tease," He raised an eyebrow.

Bella let a giggle slip out, unaware of the slight blush coloring her cheeks as she exited the laundry room. A few minutes later she opened the door to let Edward out when she had cleared out the kitchen. She went downstairs right away and Edward checked on the brats before grabbing a beer and heading for the party himself.

Upon entering the basement, Edward was accosted by a very angry Chuck, who had been looking for him 'FOREVER.' Edward apologized and said they could hang out for the rest of the afternoon. At halftime he gave him a piggy back ride upstairs and Chuck helped him serve the brats to everyone for lunch. They played with Chuck's Lamborghini during the third quarter and Chuck dried dishes after Edward washed them during the fourth.

"You did all the dishes?" Bella asked, bewildered when she walked into the kitchen just after the game had ended.

"I wanted to help." Edward smiled softly.

"I helped too!" Chuck proclaimed, trying to get Bella's attention.

"Thank you very much Chuck, that was really sweet of you." She grinned at the little boy, "I don't know what I'd do without you." She said, and though she was looking at Chuck, her tone indicated that the statement was meant for Edward.

"What was the final score?" Edward put away the last of the dishes.

"21-15, Packers." Bella beamed, "I can't remember the last time I've been able to sit and enjoy a game at the house." She told Edward.

"Well, get used to it." He joked, but the flirting was quickly put to an end when their guests started filtering into the kitchen since the game had finished.

Like the perfect host and hostess, Edward and Bella escorted their company to the door and waved goodbye from the porch, just as it began to rain.

"Emmett said the storm tonight's supposed to be pretty bad." Edward made idle conversation with Bella as they watched everyone get into their cars.

"He exaggerates, but we need the rain." Bella said stiffly, nervously.

"I dunno, the Doppler radar shot they showed during the commercials looked pretty bad." He waved goodbye to Chuck as Rose and Emmett's SUV pulled away.

"Since you already cleaned everything up, I think I'm just gonna go to bed early." Bella said wile biting her lip.

"Don't do that." Edward used his thumb to pull her bottom lip out from between her teeth, "Are you sure; it's so early."

"I'm exhausted." She said quickly.

"Okay, well, I'll walk you upstairs." He wasn't sure what to make of her mood swings.

Edward pressed his hand against the small of her back as they ascended the stairs and when they stood outside her bedroom door, she hugged him longer than usual and avoided eye contact after he kissed her goodnight. Reluctantly he let her go, sensing something was wrong. Just before she closed her door he asked, "Is everything okay Bells?"

She turned and fear briefly flashed in her eyes before he saw it replaced with determination, "I'm fine; goodnight Edward." She told him.

"I'm right next door if you need anything." Edward felt it was necessary to extend the invitation to her. She nodded in acknowledgement. "Okay, well sweet dreams Bella." He said, still uneasy as he quietly latched her door.

He went back down to the basement to move the furniture back to the way it had been that morning. Deciding he was still hungry, despite the late lunch, he heated up another brat for dinner, idly wondering if Bella realized she'd skipped supper.

Noticing that the weather seemed to be getting worse, he let Jake outside quickly to go to the bathroom and took extra long to wipe his paws and dry his fur when he came back in, out of the rain. "Your mom would never forgive me if I let you catch a cold." Edward told the dog, who seemed rather annoyed by the extra attention.

Happy with the clean and organized state of things in the kitchen, Edward put Jake to bed in the laundry room, since Bella had already gone to sleep without him. Jake didn't seem terribly happy with the fact that he had to stay downstairs for the night, but Bella had been leaving him there more frequently so he was more used to it than before Edward arrived in Delta.

Shutting off the lights on his way, Edward eventually made it up to his bathroom where he completed his nightly rituals before retiring for the evening, though he checked to make sure Bella's light was still off – it was.

Heavy rain fell in sheets against Edward's window as he read in his bed. After a while he felt his eyelids drooping and decided to call it a night. However, just as he was drifting off to sleep he could have sworn he heard his door open. And sure enough a moment later he heard _her_.

"Edward? Are you awake?" Bella sniffed quietly.

"Yeah," Edward yawned and turned on his bedside lamp, but was shocked when he got a good look at her.

Bella's cheeks were stained with tear tracks and her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

Edward nearly bolted out of the bed, "Honey, what's wrong!?" He said in alarm as his arms wound around her.

A sudden streak of lightning, almost immediately followed by a deafening thunderclap sent Bella over the edge. She let out a muffled shriek into Edward's chest and clung to him, shaking violently.

"It's okay Bella," Edward cooed, clutching her tightly, "I'm right here baby; you're safe."

She shuddered again as another loud crash rang out from the sky, "Calm down sweetheart." Edward whispered gently, unsure of what to do, but knowing he couldn't let her go.

"Can I – stay – with you – tonight – please?" Bella hiccupped, practically indecipherably through her sobbing.

"Of course you can." Edward said immediately. He scooped her up in his arms before gently laying her down on the bed. He was careful not to sever their contact as he moved her and drew the covers over both their bodies.

"Is it okay if I turn off the light?" He asked quietly.

Bella nodded quickly, still clutching his hand tightly.

Edward switched off the lamp, then turned to her and held her as close as possible as she curled up against him, whispering sweet nothings in her ear while she cried.

As the thunderstorm eventually grew more distant her shaking lessoned and the sobbing subsided.

"I'm sorry Edward." She breathed after a long while.

"Don't you dare apologize." He replied softly, "I adore you; I'd do anything for you." His fingers brushed away the last of the tears from her cheeks.

"You're not even gonna ask me why?" She sniffed.

"No," He responded automatically, "It'll upset you."

"Oh…" Bella sighed, clearly she was ready to share something with him.

"Unless you want to tell me…" He gave her permission.

Bella snuggled into her further. She paused for a moment before speaking again, "It was storming out the night I left Seattle."

Edward ran his hand along her side, trying to sooth her, "Was it hard to leave?" He wanted to know what happened to her, but only if she wanted him to.

"No." She said sadly, "I mean that night was hard. I was so scared. I didn't know where I was going and I'd never been alone before."

"You never traveled by yourself?" Edward tried to clarify.

"I never did _anything_ without a chaperone. I was never alone." She said bitterly.

Edward's brow furrowed, wondering if she was some sort of prisoner in her own home. "How id you get away then?"

"My mother told me to leave and gave me cash and keys to a car." Bella's voice trembled, "She told me drive as far away as I could get."

Edward kissed the top of her head, trying to wrap his mind around what she was telling him. After she was quiet for another few moments he decided to ask her one question, "Why did you leave that life behind you?"

Of all things she could do, Bella laughed, but quickly regained her composure and gave Edward the answer he'd been wanting to hear, "Because it wasn't a life." She said coldly. "My parents controlled everything I did, from what I wore to where I went and every word I spoke. I was raised to be seen and not heard."

"Jesus…" Edward muttered and subconsciously pulled her closer, "Did they ever…" he debated for a moment before deciding he had to know, "Hurt you?"

"No – they never laid a finger on me." She said flatly. "They never hit me, but they never hugged me either. They had no reason to hurt me; I was completely obedient. I was paraded around at social events, waited on hand and foot and eventually auctioned off to the highest bidder." She said the last bit so softly he almost thought he misheard her.

"They sold you!?" He growled.

"No – not exactly." She shook her head in his embrace. "But they saw me as a way to merge families and companies in one fowl swoop." Bella traced her finger along the neck line of Edward's t-shirt, "I was just kind of told who to date."

"What do you mean 'kind of'?" Edward said angrily, wondering what kind of people would pimp out their own daughter. He thought they had better pray to God he never met them.

"Can we go to bed?" She changed the subject. "I'm just so tired."

Edward knew she was done for the night, "Okay," he sighed, "I'm sorry I pushed you."

"No – I needed to tell you." She said quickly.

Edward nodded and kissed the top of her head again, hoping she'd open up to him more in the morning – on her terms of course. "You're safe with me Bella." He whispered, "I'll never let them hurt you again."

She let out a quiet sob before breathing, "Thank you."

It only took a few minutes before her breathing evened out and Edward realized she had fallen asleep just before he fell into a restful slumber.


	11. Chapter 11: September 14

**September 14**

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_To Whom It May Concern,_

_I don't know who the fuck you think you are, that you believe you have the right to control a person's life down to the last detail. How dare you raise a child to believe they are nothing more than an accessory and bargaining chip in a business transaction. You ought to be shot for the way you traumatized Isabella._

_If you could only see her now, though you certainly don't deserve to, she is the most beautiful, sweet, kind and gentle woman you could ever know. She's overcome the torture you put her through when she was younger and has grown up to be strong, confident, and independent – traits you certainly never instilled in her._

_It goes to show just how much strength she has that she could possibly find the will in herself to undo the years of submissive training you forced upon her. Not only does everyone in this community see how brilliant she is, but they hang on her every word and adore her the way she always should have been by her parents, but never was._

_What could possibly possess you to have a child only to ignore them unless such interaction benefits you socially or financially is beyond me. I know for a fact when we have children of our own we will lavish them with attention and encourage them to develop their own identities and follow their dreams, rather than hold them against an impossible standard and suppress everything that makes them who they are._

_You should be completely and utterly ashamed of your behavior with regards to my Bella and have no right to call yourselves parents to her, as you have never been anything close to nurturing._

_With sincere disgust, _

_Edward_

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_

Edward couldn't have been more thrilled the next morning when he found Bella still nestled up against him in his bed. He watched her for a while in the grey morning light, ignoring the rain that was still falling outside and instead focusing on how soft and smooth her skin was, how her pink lips formed a perfect pout while she slept and how well she fit against him.

Eventually a distant crack of thunder woke her. Bella's eyes fluttered open in alarm until they met Edward's gaze and he felt her whole body relax.

"Hi…" she said shyly, ducking her face into the crook of his shoulder.

"Morning," he chuckled, "Did you sleep okay?" He asked sweetly, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"Yeah," her voice was muffled against his body as she nodded.

"Are you hungry? Will you let me make you breakfast?" Edward offered, "I'll bring it up here… it's still early."

Bella eyed him speculatively.

"What?" He frowned.

"You can't cook." She giggled.

"Oh – well…" He hadn't thought of that.

"You could make me toast." Bella suggested, rolling on her back and peeking up at him through her lashes.

"I _can_ make toast." He mused, leaning over her.

"So go bring me food." She commanded half-heartedly.

Edward laughed at her attempt to be demanding, "God you're adorable." He kissed her quickly on the mouth before getting out of his bed, "Don't move." He pointed an index finger at Bella, resulting in more giggles as he bounded down the stairs, trying to remember where she kept the toaster.

He returned ten minutes later with four pieces of butter toast, two fresh cups of coffee and Jake in tow, only to find Bella had fallen asleep again.

Edward commanded Jake to lie down in the corner before he climbed in the bed and began kissing, nipping and sucking along Bella's exposed collar bone, dangerously close to her chest.

Edward smiled when he felt her little hands tugging at the hem of his shirt, so he obliged her and slipped it over his head, chucking it on the floor. Her hands splayed over his bare chest, while he straddled her.

"That's no fair…" he whispered, placing soft wet kisses against her jaw line, "You've still got yours."

Suddenly Bella sat up and Edward caught the mischievous glint in her eyes before she grabbed the bottom of her tank top and tore it over her head, tossing it on the ground, next to Edward's discarded shirt.

"Better?" She smiled lazily, laying back down in the bed.

Edward couldn't help but stare in awe – after all, he was only a man and her bare breasts were nothing if not exquisite. Perfectly round, pink hardened tips and silky smooth ivory skin was his for the taking.

"You are breathtaking…" He sighed, unable to look away from the sight below him.

"What? Haven't you seen boobs before?" She smirked.

"You and your smart mouth…" Edward rolled his eyes.

"Suppose you better shut me up, huh?" She stroked his chest playfully. When he made no move to do anything and his jaw still hung slack, trying to fathom what he had done to deserve her, Bella said, "You can touch them if you want."

Unable to deny her anything, he closed the distance between them, pressing his bare chest against hers, and sliding his tongue in her mouth, while his hands ran up and down her sides, occasionally touching places they were previously denied access.

Bella writhed beneath him, tugging at his hair the way she knew drove him into a frenzy and sure enough, the second time she did it, he inadvertently thrust his arousal against her own.

"Bella…" he groaned as he began a trail of kisses from the column of her neck down to the valley between her breasts. He looked up at her for visual confirmation before gently sweeping his tongue over her nipple and when she cried out in pleasure, he took the whole tip into his mouth, sucking slightly and enjoying the way her hips bucked when his teeth gently bit down on the tender skin.

"Oh God…" she sighed when Edward moved his mouth to the other side and brought his hand up to palm the area he had just finished with "… so good…" she managed through ragged breathes.

And eventually when he decided he had wound her up enough, he traced the exact pattern he used before, to kiss from her chest up to her mouth, "You taste so good." He moaned as he kissed her soundly, "My sweet girl…"

Bella hummed in content, just as Edward rolled off her and tucked her into his side. "I can – help you—" Bella's hand ghosted over his painfully hard erection.

"No – it's okay." He gritted his teeth, desperately needing relief, but knowing it was not the time to go any farther than they had. In fact he immediately felt as though he had taken advantage of Bella's vulnerability. He was ashamed of himself.

"Let me know if you change your mind." She whispered as she snuggled closer to him, "I just want to make you feel as good as you make me feel." She contradicted his self-loathing.

"I don't deserve you." He mumbled, already half asleep from the sound of the rain falling and the warmth of Bella's bare skin next to him.

Edward awoke a few hours later to find a pair of sleepy brown eyes staring up at him. "Hi," Bella smiled lazily.

"Morning," Edward drawled, then shook his head, "Déjà vu," he and Bella laughed softly at their inside joke. Edward peered down at her and after a moment said, "If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought you were trying to distract me." He brushed her hair off her forehead.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Bella feigned innocence, "Jake ate the toast." She motioned to the night stand, where two cold cups of coffee sat next to an empty plate, void of every last crumb.

Edward chuckled, "They were probably soggy anyway." He then turned to give Bella a poignant stare.

"Yeah, I didn't think it'd work for very long anyway," She scowled and refused to make eye contact with Edward when she said, "What do you want to know?" in a defeated whimper.

Edward wrapped his arms tightly around Bella, pulling her to him in a close embrace. He took a moment to breathe her in before he whispered, "I just want to know if you're okay."

She pulled back to get a good look at him, "That it?" She swallowed in disbelief, "That's all you want to know?"

Of course Edward had a million questions, but in that moment, he said exactly what he what he was thinking, "It's all that matters."

Bella was momentarily stunned, not because she didn't believe he could be so sincere, but because she knew it was the truth, "I'm okay – I'm just—" she paused, struggling to find the right words, but the moment her eyes met Edward's gaze, she knew exactly what she wanted to say, "I'm really glad you let me stay with you last night."

Edward couldn't hide his grin if he tried. "I love it when you sleep with me; you can always stay in my room." He leaned in close to her and kissed her softly, but shortly. "But it's okay if you like to stay in your room too." He told her so she wouldn't think she had to stay with him.

Especially after getting a glimpse of what her life had been like before Delta, he never wanted Bella to feel like she didn't have a choice, even in something small. And he realized then, why her routines were so important to her – because she'd never been in control of her life before and she didn't want anyone to take that freedom away. "You always have a choice…" His words echoed his thoughts.

"You're so thoughtful." Bella sighed, running her hand along his neck, "I think it's time I tell you everything – I owe you that much." She looked up at him imploringly, "Nothing's off limits." She said firmly, "What do you want to know?"

"My curiosity isn't worth your pain." Edward countered.

Bella sat back on her elbows, bare chest still covered by Edward's comforter, much to his dismay. "I'm ready – I want to talk about it – after all this time I can put it behind me. And I need to—" When Edward looked at her, slightly confused, she elaborated, "Put it behind me, so we can move forward." Edward nodded in understanding and appreciation, "So – ask me… because I don't even know where to begin." She laughed humorlessly as she lie back down in the bed.

Edward turned on his side so he could watch Bella, "You never talked to anyone about the first 21 years of your life?" He questioned.

"Well, I talked to your mom a little…" She laughed, "And when I say 'talked' I mean your mom used some of her magical psychiatrist powers to get me to spill what was bothering me."

"She does that – did that…" Edward still had a hard time referring to his parents in the past tense. "What about Rose though? She's your best friend and she doesn't know anything about you before you got here."

"I know…" Bella said with the pain of her guilt evident on her face, "It's just – she's always so busy with the kids, I don't need her to worry about—"

"That's bullshit and you know it." Edward called her out.

Bella glared at him and he was surprised when she didn't reprimand him for swearing, "Fine," she huffed, admitting defeat, "I don't want her to look at me like – like – like she pities me, or something. I don't need her pity and I don't want it – I just want her friendship." She looked at Edward, expecting him to protest, but when he didn't, she continued, "I know her well enough to know that when her friends – her family feels pain, she does too. And I know it's not right to keep her in the dark, but I'm not lying to her!" Bella tried to justify her omissions, "This is who I am – I'm not that scared girl from Forks!"

"Bella…" Edward tried to calm her down. He brushed his nose along her cheek and kissed his favorite spot just behind her ear, "I understand," he cooed, "You're not that girl, and you don't have to tell Rose anything you don't want to." He told her.

She relaxed after a moment and whispered, "Don't pity me Edward… please." She begged.

"I don't pity you." Edward said almost immediately, making sure she held his gaze when he said, "I admire you."

Bella's brow furrowed in confusion.

"You have overcome so much. You have so much strength and courage to start over like you did, as opposed to just settling for a life that you hated." Edward wiped away a tear that rolled down her cheek, "Sweetheart, you are the strongest person I know."

And upon hearing that statement, Bella couldn't hold back the strangled sob that escaped her throat. Edward held her for a while, but when she felt him growing restless, she knew why, "Just ask me…" she said quietly, but directly, "I told you I'd answer whatever you wanted to know."

Edward groaned, "How many men did your parents 'tell you' to date?"

"Only one – just the one." She muttered.

Edward knew he was prying, but he felt he had a right to know about the men in her past since they were in a serious relationship. And in theory, if she asked about his past, he'd tell her about Tanya, even though he didn't want to. "How long did you date him?"

"Four years," she said curtly.

"What was his name?" Edward immediately regretted asking the second the inquiry left his mouth.

Bella sighed, but said hesitantly, "His name was Michael."

"Michael…" Edward repeated the name, it sounded so innocuous. "Why did your parents pick him?"

"My father works in foreign trade and so did Michael's. If the two companies merged, they'd have a monopoly – but that's illegal." Bella explained, "However, there are other ways to merge two businesses without actually, legally combining your assets. My marriage to Michael would have ensured that both companies were tied together."

"That's disgusting." Edward spat.

"That's business." Bella replied, coldly.

"And that's it? Your parents just tell you to be with him and you have no choice?" Edward said angrily.

"Not exactly…" Bella tried to think about how to phrase her story so Edward would understand, "I told you every last detail in my life was controlled, chosen for me. I didn't meet a single person my parents didn't know about—"

"How could they keep you so sheltered? What about when you went to school?" He asked.

"I was home schooled. The only people I interacted with were people hired to take care of me and family friends or business associates at social functions."

"Because you were a socialite?" Edward was confused.

"My mother was a socialite; I was a debutante." Bella corrected him, "I didn't really meet men, because they didn't want me to fall for someone they didn't choose – someone they couldn't benefit from, by association."

"Ugh," Edward rolled his eyes, sickened by her story, but hanging on her every word.

"So, they introduced me to Michael and I knew why he was there. We both did. He started attending functions with our parents and eventually he began to accompany me to those events. Sometimes we went out by ourselves, but someone knew where we were and what we were doing." She laughed, "Our relationship was rather pathetic, now that I think about it."

But there was more that Edward wanted to know, things he was unsure how to ask. Bella looked into his eyes and just knew. He was completely mystified, but she always knew. "You can ask." She said softly.

"Did you—" he paused, "Did you love him?"

"No." She said shortly, "I wanted to," she sighed, "I really tried. Michael was nice enough, just—" she searched for the right word to categorize his personality, "Simple." She finally said, "He did what he was told, never asked questions and never cared to." Her words spoke volumes.

"Were you…" Edward gritted his teeth, "Physical with him?"

"Yes." Bella looked up at him then, her big beautiful chocolate doe eyes filled with tears and begging for forgiveness, though Edward would never need her apology, "I'm—"

"Don't even think about saying you're sorry." He warned her, "You didn't do anything wrong."

"But it felt wrong," She sniffled.

"Why!? Did he hurt you!?" Edward growled.

"No – No! I just—" Bella looked at him again, "At the time, I thought I could love him, he wasn't a bad guy and I know Michael loved me; he told me so every day – but the way I cared for him doesn't even remotely come close to the way I feel about you." Bella confessed. "So I just feel like he ruined me for you." She choked.

"Ruined you!?" Edward shook his head, "You're not ruined – I want you just the way you are. What happened with him doesn't change anything." He tried to make her understand, "I told you – I _always_ want you." The statement was as close as he could get to telling her that he loved her, because although he was aware of his feelings, he didn't feel that it was the right time to tell her, in the midst of her admissions.

"Thank you," she said softly, Edward almost didn't hear her.

"I think we've talked enough for today." Edward decided.

Bella smiled softly and nodded, but when she made a move to get out of the bed, Edward grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back to him, "Where do you think you're going?" He growled playfully, sucking on her earlobe.

"I need to make you breakfast." She giggled as she squirmed in vain.

"Oh no, the only thing you _need_ to do is stay in bed with me all day." Edward nuzzled her neck and let his hands wander to her ribcage.

"All day? What are we supposed to do – in bed – all day?" She whined, still struggling to get out of his hold.

"I could think of a few things…" Edward said huskily as he slid one hand over her exposed breast and squeezed it gently.

Bella moaned quietly, but quickly recovered. "Only if I can touch you too…" She replied.

Edward loosened his grip on her with chagrin, he just didn't think they were ready, though other parts of his body begged to differ. And especially after finding out that she had only been with one other man, he felt she didn't have enough experience to know he was right. Though he hated to make the decision for her, he knew he'd rather make her angry than take advantage of her, only to have her regret the encounter and ruin the trust they had established in their relationship.

"That's what I thought," Bella muttered to herself as she got out of bed. Edward took a nice long look at her bare back and then her perfectly curved ass as she bent over to pick up her tank top from the floor before throwing it over her head and covering herself up again.

"I'll go make you something while you get ready." She smiled softly before she disappeared through the doorway.

Edward practically sprinted to his bathroom and took care of the ache in his lower extremity – twice – during his shower, unable to get the image of Bella's almost naked body out of his mind.

He was feeling better until he walked into the kitchen and found Bella pulling cinnamon rolls out of the oven in cut-offs and her white bikini top. "All clean?" She chirped before licking a bit of icing off her finger slowly – too slowly – and releasing her index finger from her mouth with a pop.

"Sorry, I should have told you to put your swim trunks on – I know it's still raining, but it's really warm out, so I thought we could pull the dock in for the season." She rambled while she put the buns on a plate in front of him.

Edward's jaw clenched when she turned and stood on her tip-toes to get a glass from one of the higher shelves. On instinct he rounded the kitchen island and grabbed the glass for her.

"Thanks," she purred, brushing her fingertips against his hand as she took the glass from him.

"What do you think you're doing?" He said in a low tone.

"Getting you orange juice," She said coyly, as she shimmied past him 'accidentally' rubbing up against him in the process.

"If you think that bikini—"

"You don't like it?" She pouted falsely, then made a show of looking at his crotch before meeting his eyes again, "I thought it was your favorite." She smirked.

Edward's eyes narrowed as he encroached her space, shoving her back against the counter, "Why do you say that?" He made no attempt to avoid pressing his erection against her stomach.

Bella slipped her hands around his neck and pulled him down to her, "I _know_ it's your favorite because you pitch a tent every time I put it on." She breathed, "Let me help you…" One of her hands made it down to the top button of his jeans before he grabbed her wrist.

"No." He commanded.

"Why not?" She growled and shoved him away.

"Because I said so." He refused to give her any more of an answer.

Bella huffed and shoved the glass at him before storming past him, "C'mon Jake." She called the dog to let him out.

Edward set the glass down and grabbed one of the rolls, scarfing it as he went back upstairs to change. When he returned to the kitchen he found Bella sitting outside on the back steps, as the rain had let up for the time being.

"I'm sorry." He said as he sat down next to her, placing his hand on her knee.

"Just because I've only been with one guy doesn't mean you have to handle me with kid gloves. I know what I want." She snapped, refusing to look him in the eye and instead stared out at the lake.

Edward blanched at the fact that she could read him so well. And he knew she was right. Maybe he'd been wrong to assume she didn't know any better, but then he realized why he wasn't ready. "It's not you—" She opened her mouth to respond, her eyes burned with anger as he covered her lips with his hand, "I don't trust that I can control myself with you."

Her eyes softened and he removed his hand. "I want you too much." He looked away from her, ashamed with his lack of self-restraint.

"I don't care." She argued.

"Shut up Bella!" Edward barked, standing up so he towered over her.

"Hey!" Bella stood as well and shoved Edward roughly in the shoulder, "You don't get to talk to me like that!" She shouted.

Edward stared at her, unsure of what to say, but Bella was over it. She paced toward him wrapped her arms around his bare torso, "I don't wanna fight with you." She pressed her cheek to his chest and Edward couldn't help but pull her closer, "Is this about Tanya?" Bella guessed.

Edward froze. How did she know about Tanya? "You've been talking to Alice?" Edward ventured, through his teeth.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Bella looked up at him and he thought she had to know all she had to do was look at him like that with those big brown doe eyes and he was putty in her hands.

"I don't want to talk about _her_." He said poignantly. If Bella thought Michael had ruined her, she had no idea what Tanya had put him through. He'd barely come out of it alive.

"I know what she did to you." Bella rubbed her hands up and down his back.

"What did Alice tell you?" Edward said tensely.

"She cheated on you, manipulated you…" Bella said softly, "I wouldn't do that – I couldn't—"

"I know that!" Edward growled and pulled away from Bella, "But what Alice didn't tell you was that Tanya and I went too fast too soon and we both regretted it and she used my guilt to keep me around longer than I should have." He barked.

Bella took a step back from Edward, searching his eyes, unable to respond.

"I _know_ you wouldn't do that." Edward shook his head, back tracking so it didn't sound like he didn't trust her, "It's just different with you – okay?" he said a little louder than he'd intended, "I don't want to make the same mistakes—" His words still felt wrong, "I just think we should wait—" He was flustered and frustrated.

"Okay – it's okay," Bella grabbed his hand between both of hers, "It's okay," she placed a small kiss on his palm, "I'm sorry."

And his heart nearly broke hearing her apologize again. He pulled her into an embrace and breathed her in before he said, "I just need you too much to screw this up. I'm—" he took a deep breath, "I'm scared." He admitted.

"Me too." Bella kissed his cheek. "It's gonna be okay." She said reassuringly and Edward believed her.

Eventually they separated and Edward took Bella's instruction as they broke the dock down to store in the boathouse for the winter.

When they had finished, Bella made them a quick lunch before she began the laundry as was customary for Mondays. Edward stayed in the library thinking about everything that had transpired since the day before. He'd had a major breakthrough with Bella, but he couldn't help but feel like they still had a few more hurdles to get past.

Dinner was a quiet affair and after they were finished cleaning up, they cuddled on the couch in the basement watching Monday Night Football. When the game ended, Bella switched the TV off and held Edward's hand as she led him up the stairs, but surprised him when she stopped in front of his door.

"Am I still invited in?" She asked quietly.

Edward nodded.

"I promise I won't try anything." She smiled sweetly and pushed his door open, still holding his hand.

"I have to use my bathroom first." He said honestly.

"Okay," she nodded, "I'll be waiting."

And sure enough, when he returned from performing his nightly rituals, he found her nestled under the covers, in his bed. He crawled into the bed and turned the light off before pulling her up against his chest, "I love you, Bella." He whispered as he kissed her, just behind her ear.

"I love you too." She sniffed and clutched him tighter.

Bella didn't have any use for her room after that night.


	12. Chapter 12: October 22

**AN:** Lemons ahead. Consider yourself warned. Have a great day! :)

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**October 22**

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**

_Dear Rose,_

_Bella and I will be up at the Rittenhouse in Bayfield, WI from Thursday, October 22 through Sunday, October 25. I've attached the contact information for the location in case of emergency._

_Jake gets fed two cups of food in the morning and at night. He will sit by the door if he needs to go to the bathroom. Please don't let the kids feed him human food if at all possible. I'm sure you know he likes to play outside, but if you lose sight of him, just have Emmett whistle and he'll come running._

_He's used to sleeping in his bed in the laundry room at night, so it's fine if you want to shut him in the basement or porch when you go to bed, but he won't get into trouble if you leave him out._

_If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call. We have a pretty busy schedule, but we'll get back to you as soon as we get the message._

_Thanks for all your help; we really appreciate it._

_All the best, _

_Edward_

_

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_

Bella glared at Edward.

"Jesus Bells, if looks could kill," Edward laughed.

"I still don't understand why you insisted on coming with me to the grocery store," she huffed, folding her arms and turning to glare at his reflection in the window. "It's the grocery store; it's not exciting or anything."

"I just wanted a change of scenery. Had I known you'd get so pissed—"

"I. Am. Not. Pissed." She growled.

Edward barked a laugh, but shut his mouth quickly when he realized it had only upset her further, "Honey…" He said smoothly, rubbing his hand down her arm, "It was never my intention to disrupt your routine."

Except that it was.

"Why did you have to drive?" She pouted.

"I told you, you always get to drive." He looked at her briefly, "I won't hurt your car." They had taken the Corvette Roadster at his insistence. Bella argued it didn't have a lot of room for groceries with two people in the car, but Edward told her they'd manage, just before stealing the keys out of her hand.

"It's not mine…" Bella mumbled dejectedly and Edward decided to ignore the comment. He knew he'd gladly give her the car, if only she'd accept it.

"You're not allowed to say anything about the food I buy at the store. I like the brands I'm familiar with and I already have the menu planned for next week – so, I'm not changing it." She told him.

"Am I allowed to talk to you at all when we're in the store?" Edward said with humor in his voice.

"You think this is funny?" She scowled.

"You're just so cute when you're angry." Edward laughed and squeezed her hand before she snatched it away.

"I have to stop at the library to return some books and I plan on getting new ones. So you'll have to wait in the car while I take my time." Bella continued.

"I wondered where you got all that smut." Edward smirked. He always made fun of her romance novels. Her latest book, entitled 'Unbridled Lust' was about a ranch in the old West. When Edward jokingly asked if she wanted to role play, Bella promptly chucked her book at him and refused to let him cuddle with her. He just waited until she was asleep before pulling her up against him and falling asleep himself.

"EDWARD!" She screeched suddenly.

"WHAT!?" He panicked.

"You missed the Ashland exit!" She turned in her seat to look at the road behind them, "The next exit isn't for three miles." She whined.

"Oops." He snorted.

Bella's jaw hit the ground. "We're not going to the grocery store!" She shouted, "We were _never_ going to the grocery store!"

"Calm down Bella." Edward shook his head and continued to drive.

"I will not calm down! You're kidnapping me!" She accused him.

"Bella, sweetheart—"

"Don't _sweetheart_ me! I demand to know where you're taking me!" She folded her arms again and narrowed her eyes even more.

"I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise." He knew he shouldn't have found the situation nearly as humorous as he did, but he never thought she'd react so furiously. He almost burst out in laughter when he realized he'd be lucky if he got to sleep in the same bed as her that night.

"I hate surprises." She scowled. "How long is this gonna take? I have a tight schedule to keep."

"Just a few days." Edward said to himself, however he wasn't quiet enough.

"A few days!?" Bella threw her hands up, "What do you expect me to wear!?"

"Oh, don't worry, I had Rose pack you a bag." He patted her knee reassuringly.

"She _knew_!?" Bella seethed.

"Oh, no!" Edward shook his head, "You can't be angry with her. She tried to talk me out of this – said it was a monumentally bad idea—"

"Then why didn't you listen to her!? Turn the car around. THIS INSTANT!" Bella ranted.

"I am _not_ turning around." Edward said finally. "We are going to have fun whether you like it or not." He finished, quite matter-of-factly.

The car was silent for a few minutes before Bella spoke again, this time quietly – apprehensively. "How much longer until we get there?"

Edward eyed her warily.

"I have to go to the bathroom." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh – uh – twenty minutes." He said quickly, "Do you need me to stop?" He didn't want her to be uncomfortable.

"We're going to Bayfield, aren't we?" She speculated angrily, "The hotels up there are so expensive."

"Why does it matter?" Edward shook his head, frustrated that she spoiled his surprise.

"Because I don't want you to spend any money on me." She snapped.

"Why not? What difference does it make?" He didn't understand why she had such a problem with the money he spent – of all things, "You spend money my parents gave you, every week, on food."

"That's completely different." She countered.

"What would you do if the vacuum broke?" Edward asked, going off on a tangent.

"Did you break the vacuum!?" Bella threw her hands over her face.

"No, I didn't break the vacuum." Edward scoffed, "But what would you do if it broke?"

"Please don't break the vacuum." She pleaded.

"I'm not gonna break the vacuum!" Edward growled. "But if it stopped working tomorrow—"

"I thought you said we weren't gonna be home tomorrow?" Bella asked.

"Isabella Swan!" Edward stared at her, knowing she was trying to tick him off.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her legs, "I'd fix it." She said simply.

"You can't fix it."

"Why not?" She replied. However, she immediately sensed his anger so she decided to play along with his game, "Fine, I'd use Rose's vacuum until I could save up enough to get a new one."

"Save up?" He asked.

"Well, I'd spend less on food; we'd have to skip spaghetti for a few months and people would have to bring their own food to the house when there's a game." She shrugged, "I don't think they'd mind doing a potluck. And I'd probably disconnect the satellite during the off-season."

"You'd go without food to buy a new vacuum?" He asked in disbelief.

"Not without," She said defensively, "I'd just eat less."

"Why wouldn't you just ask me to get a new vacuum?" He questioned softly.

And there it was.

Her mouth parted and her brow furrowed when she realized what he was trying to do, so rather than try to rationalize why she didn't want his money, she explained it in the most simple and blunt way she could, knowing it would rile him up. "When you spend money on me, you make me feel like a whore." Her eyes pierced strait through his and her lips pursed.

Edward abruptly pulled the car over to the side of the road and Bella pressed herself against the door, afraid of what he was going to do.

"How can you say that? How can you even think that!?" Edward shook his head, completely baffled as he leaned forward to take her hands in his.

Bella frowned, regretting that she had been so cruel, "I'm sorry…" she whispered.

"Do I make you feel like that?" He swallowed hard.

"No, of course you don't." She replied immediately and brought one of her hands up to his cheek, "I shouldn't have said that; I'm sorry. It's just, when I was in Seattle… people gave me things because they expected something from me—"

"But I don't—"

"I know that." Bella closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair.

"I just want to take care of you and make you happy." Edward nuzzled the crook of her neck.

"You do make me happy," she stroked the back of his head, "I just need _you_, I don't want anything else." She kissed his temple.

"I don't expect anything from you." He said adamantly as he withdrew.

"I know." She kissed the corner of his mouth.

"Don't you ever call yourself a whore again." He said with authority, "You know how much I love you, but I'd rather let you go than keep you if that's how you felt."

"No! Don't leave me." She said frantically and pulled him toward her, fisting her hands in his shirt, "I don't feel that way; I need you. I love you so much it hurts." She burrowed into his embrace.

"It's okay…" He ran his hand through her hair, "I'm not going anywhere unless you tell me to." Edward kissed the top of her head, "I should have listened to Rose. I'll turn around so—"

"No." Bella peered up at him, "I want to go."

Edward stared at her, trying to make sure she was telling the truth, "You're sure?"

"You went to all that trouble…" she rubbed her hand up and down his chest.

"Okay," He relented and kissed her soundly before pulling back onto the highway.

"Bella?" He said nervously, after a moment.

She turned to look at him expectantly.

"I already got you a birthday present."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he continued, "I can't return it."

Her mouth snapped shut and Edward knew she was gritting her teeth before she said, "It's not even my real birthday."

"But it's when you celebrate with everyone here?" He figured he wouldn't push the subject of her actual date of birth.

"Fine." She sighed in defeat.

"I'm sorry." He frowned, even though he knew she'd love it anyway.

She shook her head, rather than responding verbally, but when he squeezed her knee, she smiled softly at him.

However, her displeasure with Edward's spending was quickly put on hold as they arrived in the out skirts of Bayfield. She rolled her window up, as the October air was noticeably more chilly on the shore of Lake Superior than inland, where they had come from. She looked out the window in delight as they passed the harbor and drove through the downtown of the small city. It was clear Bella had never been there before and he wondered if she'd even seen the great lake before. It was decidedly more scenic than Delta, though the dense forests and small lakes that littered the area had their merits.

Edward was beginning to cheer up, but when he saw the look of awe in Bella's eyes as they approached the bed and breakfast where they'd be staying, he knew he'd done the right thing by bringing her there.

"Let's try and have fun." Edward smiled as he extended his hand to Bella to help her out of the car.

"I'll behave." She stuck her tongue out at him playfully and giggled when he pressed her up against the side of the car and kissed her deeply, massaging her tongue with his own.

"Pervert," she shoved him away… eventually.

"Tease," he breathed into her ear, nipping it before tapping her butt as he rounded the car to pull their concealed bags from the trunk.

"Why'd you have Rose pack my bag?" Bella tried to take the duffle from him, but he refused.

"I don't know what you all need and it would have been rude to rifle through your things." He leaned down and kissed her cheek.

Since it was a Thursday, and technically the off season because it was so late in October, they were immediately escorted up to their room, which just happened to be the third floor suite.

Bella marveled at the cathedral ceilings in the entryway and admired the crystal chandelier that completed the foyer. The suite had a private balcony, overlooking the harbor and Lake Superior, a fire place, whirlpool and steam shower, as well as a king size bed.

"It's so big!" Bella exclaimed as she flopped onto the mattress.

"You have no idea." Edward chuckled darkly and climbed on top of her, pinning her to the bed.

"Pervert," Bella said breathlessly.

"Tease," Edward laughed as he slid his hands under her shirt and let them run along the bare expanse of her flat stomach while he trailed little wet kisses along her jaw line.

"You're driving me crazy…" She panted.

Edward sat up abruptly.

"I didn't say stop…" Bella pleaded as she rubbed Edward's forearms.

"We've got to catch a ferry in a half hour." He smiled at her and kissed the tip of her nose before hopping off the bed.

"I hope you plan on taking care of me this weekend." She glared at Edward poignantly, so he understood her meaning.

"We'll see." He grinned, "Depends on how good you are." He unzipped his bag to pull out his toiletries.

Bella sighed and wondered if Edward was even capable of putting an end to the dull ache between her legs. She wasn't sure what to make of it, but she did know it only got worse when he wound her up like he just had.

They both took a few minutes to unpack before hopping back in the car and driving into town. They parked the Roadster and arrived just in time to catch the ferry to Madeline Island.

Bella allowed Edward to be as affectionate as he liked on the ferry while she admired the chilly view. Thankfully Rose had packed a coat for Bella and advised Edward to do the same, so they were warm enough, even on the deck. The ride only lasted twenty minutes, but neither minded as they were both famished.

They almost got into another argument at the restaurant when Bella ordered a salad because it was the least expensive thing on the menu. But Edward cancelled her order and told the waiter she'd have a hamburger and fries instead.

When Bella shot daggers at Edward, he stared right back and said, "Don't make me break the vacuum cleaner."

She gaped at him, but they both laughed a moment later when he winked at her and started a game of footsie under the table. Lunch seemed like a precursor for the rest of their time on the island, which ended up being one extended foreplay session.

They wandered around the retail shops near the dock after lunch. Edward stopped trying to buy Bella things after the first few stores and instead they focused on finding baubles for Rose's kids. The last stop they made before heading back to the ferry was a local winery where they picked up a few bottles for Rose and Emmett since Edward's gift from Napa had gone over so well.

The girl at the front desk of the hotel recommended an upscale Italian restaurant for dinner. Bella frowned when she saw that they didn't even bother to list the prices.

"I'll expect you to put out if you order the lobster." Edward told Bella in a serious tone.

She peered at him over her menu to find his face red from trying to hold back laughter, but the joke was on him when she smiled coyly and said, "Promise?" Before proceeding to order, what else, but the lobster for dinner.

"Well played Miss Swan," Edward gave Bella a golf clap as the waiter walked away and she kicked Edward under the table, "Oh, you want to play that game again?" He smiled mischievously.

She merely shook her head at his antics and took a sip of her wine. Bella tried in vain to coax her birthday present out of Edward over dinner. However, he held his ground admirably and said she'd only have to wait one week to find out what it was. He explained he had to give it to her early because he'd be in Los Angeles for her birthday as it was the same day as his movie premiere, a fact that made him feel entirely too guilty. But Bella assured him it'd be okay and that she'd think of a way he could make it up to her. He suggested the role playing again, but she shot that down quickly with a dirty look – and not the kind that Edward would have liked.

When they returned to their room after dinner, Bella told Edward she wanted to try out the whirlpool and he wasn't about to argue with her. He made it into the tub first and cursed when he got hard the second Bella sauntered into the room wearing only her white bikini.

"Get over here." He commanded when he realized she was taking her time on purpose.

"Hold your horses," she giggled as she tied her soft hair into a ponytail. Edward preferred it when she wore it down, but he didn't want to tell her as much. He watched her muscles flex as she slid into the warm water, hissing slightly upon contact and sending the water rippling into Edward, who was seated across the way, rather uncomfortably, due to his predicament.

Slowly she made her way over to him and hesitated briefly to gauge his reaction before she threw one leg over him so she could straddle his lap. "I've been so good today," she whispered sensually, grinding her core against his erection.

"Bella…" he breathed, unsure of what she wanted, or expected and too scared to ask her.

"Please…" she moaned against his mouth and sucked his bottom lip between her teeth.

He kissed her back, forcefully, hungrily in response and allowed himself to get lost in the feeling of her body on top of his as the pressure in his crotch increased.

She whimpered when he slid his tongue in her mouth and as if on their own accord, his hands untied the bottom of her bikini top and then released the fasteners at her neck. Surprisingly Bella was the one who grabbed the top and flung it over the side of the tub, where it splattered on the tile.

Edward's hands were quick to cup her breasts, massaging them with his fingers and tugging on her wet and hardened nipples. He smiled when such action resulted in small keening noises against his mouth.

So slowly, Edward hasn't even realized what she was doing, because he was so focused on pleasing her, Bella let her hand glide lower and lower until it was positioned at his waistband, just above his groin. And when Edward lowered his head to suck on one of her nipples, Bella took the opportunity to reach below the elastic and graze her finger tips against his dick.

Not only did Edward practically climax the moment her skin came into contact with his, but he yelped as his hips involuntarily bucked against her. Their eyes locked for a long moment before Edward brought one hand over hers and she frowned for a moment, thinking he was going to force her to stop touching him, but instead he wrapped his hand over hers and whispered, "Don't go too fast," as he guided her hands in a pumping motion around his cock.

Bella sighed and smiled, leaning against the crook of his neck. He directed her motions for a minute before releasing her hand and allowing her to do it herself. She paid close attention to the noises he made while she stroked him, testing out the strength of her grip and loved the way he moaned when she ran her thumb over his swollen head.

Bella's ache only increased as Edward grew harder in her hand. She began to writhe against him to satiate the need as he twitched beneath her. Again he covered her hand with his and helped her stroke at a faster pace as he throbbed in a mixture of pleasure and pain.

"I'm gonna come." He growled hoarsely and a second later he let out a grunt as his dick twitched again and Bella pumped him once more before releasing him and tucking him back into his pants. She wound her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest, so proud of the fact that she could please the man she loved more than anything.

She was only still for a second before Edward grabbed her, pulling her tightly against him and picking her up out of the water. Bella was too happy to protest, but was curious as she watched him grab a towel off the bathroom counter. With a flick of his wrist he spread the towel out on the bed while he held her against himself tightly, with the other.

Once the towel was smoothed out over the top of the comforter, he gently laid her down on the bed, "You're so beautiful," he sighed in content as he crawled over her and kissed her slowly. "Can I touch you?" He murmured.

Unable to speak, Bella merely nodded. Edward leaned back on his heels and placed his hands at the waistband of her bikini on either side. He looked at her again, needing confirmation before he proceeded.

Bella smiled up at him and said, "I love you."

"I love you too sweetheart," Edward returned the sentiment. Then slowly he dragged the fabric down her hips. She lifted them up slightly and he continued to pull them down her legs until she was completely naked; laid bare before him. "You're perfect." He told her.

Bella snorted in disagreement and rolled her eyes, but Edward would have none of it. He loomed over her and let his lips linger millimeters above hers as he whispered, "You're perfect to me."

"Are you gonna make love to me?" Bella moaned.

Edward shook his head, but when Bella frowned he kissed her sweetly and said, "But I'm gonna make you feel really good." He continued to kiss her, his lips making sure she knew just how much she meant to him while he shifted his balance to one elbow so he could run his hand over the apex of her thighs.

She gasped when he cupped her sex in his hand and he gave her a moment to get used to the feeling before he dipped two fingers in to slide against her slick folds. The second he touched her clit, she cried out against his mouth and her hips came up from the bed.

"You aren't gonna last very long are you?" Edward chuckled against her throat. He took his time, slowly stroking her wetness, bringing her so close to the brink, each time he circled her clit she was trembling beneath him.

Bella called out his name as he let one finger glide into her and he smirked, knowing what was next when he rubbed his thumb over her clit in unison. She cried out once more as she came violently around his finger. Her body, a quaking, quivering mass beneath him, as Edward had finally granted her the release she'd waited so long to achieve.

Edward kissed her softly then used the towel to remove the perspiration from her brow and clean them both up. Gently, he ran his fingers through her hair and tried to decipher the expression on her face.

"I – I didn't—" Bella's eyes met Edward's, "I didn't know." She choked.

"Didn't know what sweetheart?" He whispered as eh moved to her side so he could hold her.

She took a few deep breaths, still in a daze, "I didn't know it could feel like that."

Edward's brow furrowed, unsure of what she meant.

"Does it always feel that good?" She sighed in content, "Is sex supposed to feel that good?"

Edward was then thoroughly confused. "Honey, I thought you said you weren't a virgin?" Edward's breathing increased as he began to panic, "I mean it's okay if you are I just need to know—"

"I'm not…" She shook her head lazily.

"But you've never had an orgasm before?" Edward stared at her in disbelief.

"Oh…" Bella smiled sheepishly, "That's what that was…" she closed her eyes.

"Bella," Edward called to her; she opened her eyes and met his puzzled gaze, "Are you a virgin?"

"No…" She shook her head again, "He just never did that…" Bella closed her eyes again.

Edward sat up and looked at her, trying to figure out what she was saying. Clearly she was capable of climaxing and she said Michael never forced her…

He saw her shiver and rolled off the bed, drawing back the covers on her side of the bed.

"No," she said suddenly when he tried to move her, "Can I please wear my pajamas? He never let me put clothes on after…" She begged.

"Of course you can," he replied immediately. "Stay right there," he instructed her as he went to find clothes in their luggage. He pulled out his pajamas and threw them on the bed before he opened her duffle bag and quickly found a clean pair of panties and a tank top. He held them up to make sure she approved. She smiled brightly at him so he threw them on the bed as well.

Edward made one more pass at Bella with the towel, then he helped her slide her undies on, so she wouldn't have to stand. Gently he pulled her into a sitting position as she tugged the tank top over her head and laid back down on the bed when he was finished.

"I'll be right back." He pecked her on the mouth and grabbed his dry clothes as well as the wet towel before disappearing into the bathroom to get dressed and drain the tub.

He smiled when he returned and saw Bella watching him turn off the lights before he got under the covers with her.

"You didn't answer me," Bella yawned as she curled into Edward's side, while he reclined on his back.

"Answer what?" He rubbed his hand up and down her arm.

"Is sex supposed to feel that good?" She murmured.

"It's better." He pulled her closer.

"Did I make you feel as good as you made me feel?" She ran her hand over his bare chest.

"Yes, Bella." He grinned and couldn't help but ask, "Did he force you?"

"No," She sighed as if she was expecting the question, "I told you, he just never touched me like that."

"What did he do?" Edward winced as he spoke. He knew he shouldn't have asked her and part of him didn't even want to know. But he had an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach that when she had sex with Michael it wasn't consensual.

"He was away on business a lot with his father, and after a few years, I just started spending the night with him when he was in Seattle." She spoke in a detached voice, like she was only retelling a story she'd heard, not something she'd experienced herself. "Eventually he decided we should have sex, so we did."

Edward blinked in the dim light, "What do you mean he decided, so you did?"

"He'd tell me when he wanted to have sex and he'd undress me and I just let him do what he needed to do until he was done." She said shamefully.

"You didn't even know you could say no…" Edward stated, rather than questioned, trying to quell his furry; after all, it certainly wasn't her fault.

"No, I didn't…" She swallowed.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"He wasn't abusive, it was fine." She shook her head, trying to forget what she had just shared.

"It's not fine. You should know it's not fine. I mean – didn't it hurt – if you weren't—"

Edward paused because Bella laughed, "What?" He questioned.

"I guess it did the first time, but—" She giggled again, "He wasn't nearly as big as you are."

Edward was thankful Bella couldn't see his blush in the darkened room. "Did you ever…" Edward stopped.

"Did I what?" Bella asked when he hadn't finished his thought.

"Didn't you ever try to touch yourself?"

"Try? Yes. Succeed? No." She snorted, "I can't believe we're having this conversation…" she muttered to herself.

"But you read all those books…" Edward reasoned.

"They're not how-to manuals on masturbation, Edward." She balked, "And the ones I read aren't as dirty as you think." She argued.

"Oh really?" Edward flipped the lights on and sprinted over to Bella's bag knowing there'd be a book in there, as he'd thrown 'Unbridled Lust' on the top, just in case they had some down time.

"Don't you dare!" Bella scrambled off the bed and nearly knocked Edward over, trying to grab at the book he held feet above her head.

"Aww, sucks to be short, doesn't it squirt." He cackled.

"Give it!" Bella cried, clawing at his chest and arms to retrieve the book.

Edward easily found the passage he was looking for because the binding of the library book was worn in that particular spot, "Samuel ripped the tattered bodice away from Abigail's body in his lusty haze, exposing her heaving bosoms waiting in earnest for his touch – only his touch."

"EDWAAAAARRRRDD!" Bella shoved him, "It does not say that!"

"Oh, yes it does!" He laughed, "She grabbed hold of his manhood, begging him with her breathy sighs to pierce through her virginity."

"Ugh!" Bella kicked his shins, "I hate you!"

"No you don't," Edward chuckled as he dropped the book back into Bella's bag. She gave him a puzzled look, thinking he'd given up before he rushed toward her and threw her over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" She pounded on his back weakly.

"Have I ever told you how much I love your cute little butt?" He teased and spanked her.

She yelped and kicked her legs harder.

"Oh, alright – you're no fun." He joked as he dumped her on the bed and crawled on top of her the next moment, settling between her legs. "Ya know what I think?" He mused, running his hands along the outside of her thighs.

"What?" She pouted, trying to look more put off than she actually was.

"I think…" his hands were at her sides, "You are…" he grabbed her wrists loosely and slowly brought them above her head, where he held them still. His face inched closer to hers, "Just as naughty…" he ran his tongue over her pouting bottom lip, earning a soft moan from her, "As those books…" he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth as Bella wrapped her legs around Edward's hips, trying to pull him closer to her.

"Please…" she breathed.

"Tell me what you want…" he kissed her long and slowly.

"Touch me…" She moaned.

"Again?" He laughed against her mouth.

"Please…" She pleaded.

"Oh, I can't say no when you beg," he smirked, letting go of her wrists so he could unhook her legs from around him.

Bella slid up on the bed so she could get a better view of what he was doing, but it was no use because instead of taking her panties off, he merely let his hand fall beneath them. And the moment she felt him against her, she threw her head back, trying to focus only on what he was doing to her.

"Bella?" Edward said in a sing-song voice while he gently stroked her.

"What?" She groaned.

"Would you ever let me watch you?" His finger grazed her clit.

"Watch… me… what?" She panted, willing herself not to climax so she could prolong the pleasure for as long as possible.

"Touch yourself?" Edward whispered huskily as he slid one finger, then a second into her.

"I don't… mmmm…" She moved her hips against his fingers, "I don't know how…" she stuttered.

"I could teach you…" Edward slowly began to increase his pace.

Unable to string words together, Bella only hummed in response.

"Bella…" He cooed, still waiting for an answer and when he got nothing, he curled his fingers inside of her, bringing her right to the edge.

"I'm so close." She whimpered in frustration.

"I want an answer," he chuckled darkly, kissing the hollow of her neck, where there was a slight sheen of sweat.

"Yes! Yes, please! Whatever you want!" She shouted.

Edward smiled down at her and ran his thumb over her clit in awe of how he could play her body like an instrument as she arched her back and cried out as she climaxed. He continued to stroke her slowly, while she rode out her orgasm, eventually stilling when she was completely spent.

Edward kissed her cheek and rolled off her so he could clean up in the bathroom. When he returned he laughed, realizing she hadn't moved from the spot he'd left her in.

"I bet you can't even move…" he smirked as he walked around to her side of the bed and pulled her body slowly so he could tick her under the covers.

"I feel like – jello." She mumbled, eyes still glazed over as they lazily followed Edward's motions.

"Good." He grinned at her before climbing into his side of the bed and shutting off the lamp on his nightstand for a second time.

Slowly he moved toward Bella so her back was flush with his chest and she wrapped her fingers around his forearm while he held her.

"You play dirty…" She whispered.

"I never said I was fair," he nuzzled her neck.

She sighed in content and after a moment of silence, said, "I'm glad we went slow – thank you."

"Me too." Edward kissed her sweetly and pulled her closer.

The next day they slept in, before having lunch at the marina and then taking an afternoon cruise, where they got to see the Apostle Islands, sea caves and sunset from the water.

On Saturday Edward chartered a boat to go fishing in the morning and a different one to go sailing in the afternoon. Exhausted, they ordered in and ate pizza in bed, drinking a bit more than they should have.

Though the days after their first sexual encounter were different, Edward and Bella's relationship felt more intimate, more comfortable and almost easy. Though they flirted, they never went as far as they had that first night. It was almost as if an understanding had passed between them that their physical relationship was a delicate matter and whether or not either person wanted to admit it, they weren't ready to have sex. They both knew if they were constantly all over each other, that's exactly what would happen. If that was the case, they'd both regret it.

Sunday, they reluctantly bid farewell to the cozy little lakeshore town. Edward surprised Bella when he took the exit for Ashland so she could go grocery shopping. He questioned every item she put in the cart, in jest, saying things like 'I want the ones in the green box,' or 'the other flavor is better,' and 'the fresh ones make me sick.'

However, Edward had a bit too much fun when they went to the library – which was very busy for a Sunday – when he kept trying to read excerpts from books in the romance section. Finally Bella gave up, grabbing a handful of titles without reading the summaries, proclaiming "I can't take you anywhere!" That earned quite a few shushes.

But she quickly forgave him when he tossed her the keys in the parking lot and let her drive home.


	13. Chapter 13: November 1

**AN:** More lemons. Just so you're aware.

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**November 1**

**

* * *

**

_Bella,_

_First off, it had damn well better be your birthday if you're reading this, because I wrote it so I could be with you on your birthday in my own way, not so you could read it early. So this is your last chance to stop reading before the actual letter and I __**will**__ know if you read this before the 20__th__._

_Alright, so assuming it is your birthday, I need to tell you I'm sorry I'm not in Delta celebrating with you in person. I know you've told me plenty of times that you don't mind which I don't buy for a second. Regardless, __**I**__ mind. I love you, adore you, worship you and it breaks my heart that I'm halfway across the country from you while you turn twenty-six. That only happens once._

_I might be writing this before I've left, but I do know one thing, where ever I am right now, I miss you terribly. How am I supposed to sleep without you next to me? How can I eat something you haven't made for me after we argued about me wanting to help and you eventually putting your foot down and telling me to starve if I didn't leave you alone? How can I write without your beautiful music to inspire me?_

_It's painfully obvious that you hate it when I spend money on you, which is very unfortunate because all I want to do is lavish you with gifts. But, you force me to be creative, so what I want to give you for this occasion didn't cost me a penny. Well, I may have paid for this paper._

_I want to tell you all the things I don't have time to, every day, though I think them and I want to tell you how much you mean to me and just how much you really have changed my life for the better._

_If you could have seen me in L.A. before I met you, you would have met a man who was paranoid, obsessive compulsive, constantly frustrated, depressed and for all intensive purposes, lost and broken._

_But the second I met you, that all changed. The fact is, from the moment I first laid eyes on you, I changed. You see me for exactly who I am, nothing more, nothing less. But you make me strive to be a better person for you. Besides my sister, I have never met such a strong woman who refuses to let me get away with anything._

_I know you don't take complements well, but it's no secret that I think you are the most kind, gentle and sweet girl I've ever had the pleasure of knowing._

_Everyday I thank my lucky stars that you opened up your heart and let me love you as much as I do. When I think about who I would be if our paths hadn't crossed, the thought literally hurts my heart because it's impossible to picture a life without you._

_You are my future Bella. And I hope it doesn't scare you if I say that, though I may not be with you when you turn twenty-six, I fully intend to be there for every single birthday that follows this one._

_Never doubt my love for you. _

_Happy Birthday, sweetheart. _

_I love you more than life itself._

_Love Always, _

_Your Edward_

_

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_

The second the alarm clock sounded, Edward's hand reached over to silence it. He was up anyway, having barely slept the night before – afraid he would oversleep and everything would have been ruined.

He frowned as he gently released Bella from his hold, sliding out of the bed to get ready and double check all his preparations. As the hot water from the shower ran over his body, he ticked off all the things he needed to do and what was already finished.

Rose and Emmett had dropped their SUV off after Bella went to bed and the keys were sitting in the kitchen next to the cooler Edward had packed with food and drinks for breakfast and lunch just after he'd gotten out of the shower. The clothing Alice procured for him was still hidden at the very back of the top most shelf in the laundry room, where Bella would never see it, thanks to her short stature. Their tickets were already stowed in the glove box of the SUV and he'd called to confirm their hotel reservations the previous afternoon. Edward's GPS would ensure driving was a breeze.

At exactly 5:30am, still enveloped in darkness with dawn fast approaching, Edward took a deep breath before heading back into his room to wake Bella. Setting her clothes down on the end of the bed, he crawled up next to her, nuzzling her neck and kissing her chin gently while he whispered her name. "Bella… honey, wake up… please sweetheart." He ran his hand over her side, down to her hip.

Bella moaned and rolled over so she was closer to him, "Go back to bed, baby." She whispered and snuggled into the sheets.

"Honey, you have to get up…" He cooed, slowly pulling the covers off her.

"Make your own breakfast; I'm too tired." She groaned.

Edward chuckled softly, as if he'd be selfish enough to wake her up to make him food. "Alright, I'll do it myself then…" He took Bella's jeans off the top of the pile and lifted up her legs at the ankle as he pulled them up her body.

"Edward… stop it…" Bella moaned, squirming and squinting in the darkness. "What're you doing?"

"You have to get dressed, Bells." He yanked at the fabric, "Lift your hips up sweetie…" he said softly and without thinking, she complied, "good girl," Edward smiled and patted her thigh.

Bella shuffled back on the bed so she was almost sitting up, "Why can't I sleep?" She frowned, running her hand through her hair. It was a little wavy since she hadn't completely dried it after her shower before she went to bed.

"You can sleep in the car." Edward told her as he handed her a bra and the long sleeved, green shirt he instructed his sister to send. "Put these on while I do your shoes and socks." He instructed her, shifting her to the side so her feet hung over the edge of the bed.

"I don't like these jeans," she whined, throwing her tank top on the bed, exposing her chest for a moment before covering up with her bra, "They're too tight."

"No, they're not." Edward smirked. They fit perfectly and were his favorite, but she barely ever wore them unless she was low on clothes right before laundry day.

"Pervert," she rolled her eyes as she threw the shirt over her head, "This shirt is too small," she pouted.

"No, it's not." Edward shook his head, looking forward to seeing her when she was finished, "Don't look at the front of it." He instructed, leaning up and pecking her on the lips.

"Where are we going?" She rubbed her eyes, still groggy.

"Birthday surprise." Edward replied quickly as she leaned over her and scooped her up into his arms.

"I can walk," she tried to sound annoyed, but she was still to drowsy for it to sound as she had intended.

Carefully Edward opened and closed the front door while hanging onto Bella at the same time. He was able to gently deposit her in the passenger seat of the SUV before making his way to the driver's side.

He started the car up quickly so the heat would begin circulating. Noticing Bella was shivering, Edward decided to give her part of her present early.

He turned and grabbed a beautiful, brand new, ivory and charcoal winter coat out of the back seat and told Bella to hold her arms out so he could put it on her.

"Whose is that?" She yawned, still too sleepy to argue as she held her arm out toward him.

"It's yours, Bella." He said softly.

She stared at him for a moment and her mouth parted like she was going to argue, but she shut it, rolling her eyes at the same time.

"I know you're angry, but your other coat is old and this one is more insulated. It'll keep you warmer," he zipped it up and met her eyes – they were hooded and indifferent, "I don't want you to get sick; we're gonna be outside for a while today." He explained.

Bella shook her head and quietly said, "thank you," with a slight hint of resentment.

Edward stared at her in disbelief. She swallowed and sank into the seat, "I don't want to fight with you," Bella's eyes darted to his, "I know you mean well." She covered his hand with hers.

His smile broadened as he leaned forward and kissed her deeply. "I love you," he whispered as he pulled back, just before throwing the car in gear.

"I want to know how much it cost, though." Bella looked at him expectantly.

Edward shook his head, "I don't know."

Bella narrowed her eyes at him, "Don't lie to me, I'm giving you a free pass here, when you know it bothers me, so the least you can do is tell me how much you spent." She scolded.

"I'm not lying Bells," Edward tried to hold back a smile, because he was indeed telling the truth, "I asked Alice to pick it out and mail it – she never told me how much she spent and I didn't ask." Edward looked at Bella, who was clearly annoyed, "She's a stylist – for all I know, she got it for free."

Bella rolled her eyes again, unwilling to pursue the topic further. She turned and pulled the hood up so she could use it as a cushion against the window. However, Edward was one step ahead of her. He reached into the back seat, procuring the pillow he'd placed there the night before and handed it to her with a wary smile.

Bella took the pillow and propped it against the window. However, she caught Edward off guard when she grabbed his hand and whispered "Love you too," with her eyes closed.

Edward kept hold of her hand while he drove. He was hoping to arrive in Green Bay around one or two. They'd have to check into the hotel quickly and then a shuttle would take them to Lambeau Field in time for the game. He was worried about the traffic, but as long as Bella was okay with eating breakfast in the car and they kept their pit stops quick, they wouldn't have a problem getting there in time.

They had been driving for about two hours when Bella started having nightmares. At first Edward though she was speaking to him when she said "Don't let them take me back," but then she kept repeating "He asked for Marie Dwyer!" in alarm as she began to cry.

In a stroke of luck, they happened upon a rest stop just when Edward became extremely concerned. He pulled over quickly and shook Bella until her sleepy and tearful eyes met his. Quickly she wiped the tears from her cheeks and apologized profusely, obviously embarrassed about what happened.

Edward was unsure of what to do. He ran his fingers through her hair, trying to get her to meet his gaze. Clearly she was upset but would it help if he asked her, or make the situation worse?

Taking a chance he said, "Bella, who is Marie Dwyer?"

Bella's face went pale, her eyes blank and she quickly and coldly said, "Nobody," before turning away from Edward.

He stared at her, pressed as close as she could get to the door and away from Edward. She flinched when he reached out to squeeze her shoulder, "It's okay, honey." He said quietly.

When she didn't respond, Edward dug around in the things he'd packed for the hotel and handed Bella her toiletries. "Go to the bathroom, stretch your legs and meet met back here. I've got food and drinks in the cooler if you're hungry."

Bella met his eyes then and he answered her unspoken question, "I won't ask you about her again, but I'll listen if you change your mind." He kissed her cheek and got out of the car. Bella was at his side a moment later, wrapping her arms around his waist and snuggling into his chest. He hugged her back, hating that she was so scared of something he couldn't protect her from.

Once Bella had some food and caffeine in her, the snarky and stubborn girl returned. Bella made fun of Edward's music collection for a good hour, after which she tried to convince Edward to let her give him road head. Of course he adamantly refused, seeing as they were on the interstate and it was far too dangerous. She pouted for a while and then spent the rest of the ride trying to guess where they were going.

When she'd ask for clues or make guesses, Edward would just shake his head and try to compose his poker face. At one point she guessed they were going to the Packer game, but she vetoed her own suggestion, muttering that he'd never be able to get tickets because they were playing the Vikings, their regional and perennial rivals.

However when Edward took the exit for Green Bay, Bella stared at him in shock. "Are you serious?" She swallowed in disbelief.

"I told you I couldn't return it." Edward beamed. "Unzip your coat; you can look at your shirt."

Bella's did as she was told and gaped when she saw the familiar and simple green and gold 'G" emblazoned on the green shirt Edward had given her to wear. "But how?" She breathed, glancing at him incredulously.

"I have connections," he smirked, thinking it was one of the few times he'd used his celebrity status to pull some strings and get something so extraordinary.

"You're amazing!" She said excitedly and squeezed his hand. Edward was nothing short of elated that she was so pleased with his gift. Though he never doubted she'd love it, he just didn't realize how much.

Thanks to Edward's careful planning, they arrived at the hotel just after one to check in and drop their things off. Reluctantly Edward was forced to deny Bella's advances so they could stay on schedule.

"But I just want to show you how thankful I am." Bella breathed huskily in his ear while she grabbed at his crotch.

"Honey, as great as that sounds—" He gulped when she squeezed him through his pants, "Bella!" Edward yelped as her grip got tighter and he grabbed her wrists in his hands, "We'll miss the game." He told her seriously. But when her shoulders slouched in defeat, he pulled her into a tight embrace and whispered, "You can show me later – we have all night."

Bella smiled then and pulled his face down to hers for a long and passionate kiss. Eventually they both separated, breathless and wanting more, but knowing it wasn't the time to tempt fate.

They were able to take a shuttle from the hotel to Lambeau Field and Edward surprised Bella again when he pulled her over to a side entrance for VIPs. Bella looked at him questioningly; he shrugged and said, "We have box seats."

Once in the box, they were both surprised by the casual but luxurious setting. Rather than having to sit on bleachers, Edward and Bella got to curl up together on a couch while they were served beer and brats. The others in the box were polite, but generally paid them no mind.

During half-time, the couple left the box and walked around the stadium, peering out at the field from the 50-yard line, but only for a moment because the early November air in Green Bay really was brutal. Bella was glad for the new coat and told Edward as much.

And though the Packers were defeated by twelve, Bella never had more fun in her life and wouldn't have wanted the experience to be with anyone else.

The second they returned to their hotel room, Bella jumped Edward, clawing at his chest to rid him of his clothing kissing him roughly, not caring that she drew blood when she bit down on his bottom lip.

"Bella…" he panted, "Slow down, sweetheart." Edward gently pulled back from her, wiping the blood from his lip, "I want to take my time with you." He said seductively, bending down to kiss her slowly, lest she think he didn't want her as much as she wanted him.

Bella moaned into Edward's mouth as he sucked her bottom lip before slowly slipping his tongue in her mouth. He held her closely while her fingers found purchase in his hair and tugged.

"Bells…" Edward growled, pulling away from her mouth. He leaned his forehead against hers, "Give me ten minutes," he breathed, "I just want to shower quick… okay?"

"Okay," Bella chirped, a little too quickly for Edward's comfort. She pecked his lips, sliding her palms down his chest and said, "Hurry back," with a Mona Lisa smile.

He eyed her suspiciously before giving her hand a squeeze and then disappearing into the bathroom. He'd only been under the warm spray of the shower for a moment when he heard the door open. "Don't even think about it." He warned her.

But she didn't listen to him.

Bella slowly drew back the shower curtain, revealing that she was completely naked.

"Bella…" Edward trailed off as she stepped into the shower next to him, water dripping down her exposed skin in rivulets, leaving Edward utterly speechless.

Taking advantage of his stunned silence, Bella wrapped one hand around his neck, sweeping her tongue in his mouth and the other around his erection, pumping it lightly.

"I want you…" She moaned, pressing her breasts against his chest and he couldn't help but reciprocate, letting his hands run down her sides and pulling her closer.

However, the second Bella moved to get on her knees, Edward grabbed her forearms, stopping her. He looked down at her questioningly and she glared up at him defiantly. "Don't," he said.

Bella set her jaw and replied, "It's my birthday, I'll do what I want." And she swiftly sunk to her knees before him, continuing to stroke him.

"Honey, really, you don't—" But Edward's speech was abruptly cut off when he felt the tip of her tongue dart out to taste his head. "Oh, god…" he groaned, bracing himself against the shower wall just in time. She wrapped her lips around his cock, swirling her tongue around what she could fit in her mouth without gagging and pumping the rest at the base with one hand while the other was splayed on his hip.

Edward took deep breaths, enjoying the sensation of her wet, warm mouth around him, but tried not to succumb to the feeling. He had to continuously remind himself to keep his hips still as the last thing he wanted to do was take advantage of her generosity by fucking her pretty little mouth, though deep down, a part of him wanted to.

She continued her ministrations, bringing him closer and closer to release. At one point, Edward allowed himself to comb his fingers through her damp hair, refusing to look at what she was doing to him. But a moment later, she moaned and the vibration against his length was almost too much to handle. On reflex, he looked down and the sight of her on her knees in front of him was his undoing. Quickly he jerked back, away from her face and shot his release close to the drain.

Bella looked up at him through hooded eyes and said, "I would have swallowed."

Edward stared at her for a moment before helping her up and whispering, "I didn't want to come in your mouth." He brushed the hair off her face and let his head fall to the crook of her neck while he held her.

"Why not?" She asked quietly, barely loud enough to be heard over the water.

"I respect you more than that." He kissed his favorite spot, just behind her ear.

Bella pulled back and looked him right in the eyes when she said, "It's not disrespectful if I _want_ to do it; only if you make me." She cupped her palm over his cheek and smiled softly, "So let me do it next time."

"You're amazing," Edward leaned down and kissed her sweetly, then turned off the water. He stepped out of the shower, grabbing a clean towel off the rack and holding it open to wrap it around Bella before taking another and tying it loosely around his waist.

Gently he guided her over to the bed, "Your turn," he whispered seductively, nipping at her ear.

She sat down on the bed, on top of the comforter and scooted back so she was in the middle of the bed, resting her head against the headboard.

Edward quickly threw on a pair of boxers before crawling on top of her, resting on his elbows so his full weight wasn't on her. He kissed Bella softly and slowly, taking his time with her as he'd promised. He hoped the way he touched her, made her feel just how much he loved her and needed her.

As their kiss became more heated he felt Bella begin to squirm beneath him. "Tell me what you want…" Edward whispered.

Instead of replying verbally, Bella un-tucked the towel and moved the fabric so it fell open around her, exposing her body to Edward once again.

Immediately Edward's mouth was locked around one of her breasts, while he rolled the other nipple between his thumb and forefinger, pinching it after it had hardened.

Bella moaned and threaded her fingers through Edward's hair, rubbing her legs together, hoping the friction would alleviate the pressure building between her thighs.

"Tell me…" Edward said again, taking the other nipple in his mouth, palming where it had previously been.

"Make love to me…" She panted.

Edward paused and looked up at her, "You're sure?" He asked her seriously.

Bella nodded, "I'm ready – we're ready." She smiled.

Edward returned her grin, but said, "I want to make you come first." He let one of his hands glide down her smooth stomach and very gently he ran his fingers over her slick folds, "Even though you're already wet for me." He chuckled darkly and continued to stroke her while her eyes rolled back into her head at the sensation.

Bella let Edward move her body how he pleased. He spread her legs so he could settle between them, bending them slightly at the knee so he had better access.

"I love you," He whispered, kissing her mouth first, then trailing more from her chin to her chest and her stomach, then finally down to her sex.

"What are you doing!?" Bella started, her whole body tensed.

Edward popped his head up from between her legs, "Just trust me." He smiled.

"Edward…" She whined and tried to sit up, but Edward had her lower body pinned to the bed, "I don't—"

"Bella…" He stopped her, "Trust me." He stared at her until she nodded apprehensively and tried to relax her muscles again.

Edward rubbed her legs, trying to get her to relax more. For a few minutes he only used his fingers to stroke her, but when he felt she was ready, he slid two of them inside her, earning a long, deep moan from Bella. Trying to catch her off guard, he leaned down and used the flat of his tongue to lap up her juices. In his state of arousal, he enjoyed the sweet flavor.

Slowly he curled his fingers inside of her and gently pumped them in and out as he sucked her clit between his lips while she keened continuously. And at the exact moment that his teeth grazed her swollen clit, she came suddenly around his fingers, crying out at the feeling.

Edward couldn't help but smirk, still pleased that he could make Bella climax so quickly.

"I need you…" she said through ragged breaths, "Please… inside me…"

Edward covered her body with his and kissed her; she returned the gesture eagerly and tried to wrap her legs around his hips, but he pulled away, "Condom…" He kissed her jaw and hopped off the bed just as the phone rang, "Ignore it." He told Bella while he dug in his bag for the box he'd brought with him, just in case.

The phone continued to ring until Edward finally found the box, but he realized too late, it had only stopped ringing because Bella had picked it up.

"Hello?" She said breathlessly.

And when her eyes darted to meet Edward's, he knew something was wrong, "Sure," she sighed and held the phone out toward Edward.

When he made no move to take the receiver from her, she said, "It's Jasper."

Edward's brow knit together in confusion. He dropped the box back into the bag and took the phone from Bella as he sat down on the bed. "This had better be good," he growled, watching Bella wrap the towel around her body out of the corner of his eye.

"You are a tough one to track down; it took me five hours to figure out where you were and how to get a hold of you." Jasper snorted.

"I'm not joking." Edward snapped, "What do you want?" He glanced at Bella and saw that she was cold so he peeled back the covers for her, but she shook her head.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news—"

"Is Alice okay?" Edward asked suddenly.

"Oh, she's fine, sorry, nothing like that." Jasper said quickly, not wanting Edward to panic.

"Then what is it?" He was getting frustrated, fast.

"It's about the press tour." Jasper hedged.

Edward grabbed Bella's hand when she tried to slide off the bed, but let her go when she stuck out her bottom lip in a pout, "What about it?" He ran his hand through his hair.

"They moved it up." Jasper blurted out.

"What!?" Edward shouted.

Bella froze and turned her attention from the bag Edward had packed for her, to him. He waved her off, letting her know she could continue.

"You need to leave tomorrow for L.A." Jasper said nervously.

"No." Edward replied, then covered the receiver, "Don't get dressed," he hissed at Bella, but she shook her head again and took her clothes into the bathroom.

"You don't have a choice. I booked a flight out of the Green Bay airport for tomorrow morning. You have a connection in Chicago." Jasper rattled off.

"No – I'm not going. I'm spending time with Bella and we're supposed to have a few more days." Edward was pissed. It was so typical of the studio to change things at the last minute, but he wasn't going to put up with it.

"Anthony, I'm sorry – I tried—"

"Then try harder!" He yelled, but immediately regretted it when Bella opened the bathroom door wearing her pajamas, looking nothing if not frightened. Edward looked at her apologetically and was surprised when she strode toward him and took the phone from him.

"I'm so sorry Jasper. It's just we were celebrating my birthday because he'll be gone on the actual date." She paused then took the pen and a pad of paper from the side table and sat down on the bed next to Edward. "Of course, I understand." She tried to sound positive, but her expression was less than pleased. "Go ahead." She instructed Jasper and began to write on the notepad.

Edward wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and leaned his chin on her shoulder, "I'm not going." He told her.

"I'll make sure." Bella told Jasper, "Thank you, goodnight." She hung up the phone and turned around in Edward's arms. "Honey…" she placed her free hand on his cheek, "You have to go… I'll survive." She gave him a weak smile.

"That's not the point." He shook his head trying to will her to understand how important she was to him.

"I know…" She said quietly and pulled away from him, "I have your flight details and I don't mind driving home tomorrow—"

"Come with me." Edward stood suddenly, "Please."

Bella closed her eyes and swallowed hard. When she opened them again, the pain she felt at the battle that was surely waging in her mind was evident. Slowly she shook her head from side to side.

"Why?" Edward stepped toward her and took her hands in his, kneeling before her.

She sighed, "I suppose you'll find out eventually." Bella led Edward back over to the bed, sitting down again. "I'm afraid to travel, especially abroad." She told him.

He looked at her puzzled, that wasn't such an awful thing. Edward was sure he could help her overcome her fears, "Is it flying?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head, "My parents."

Edward cocked his head in confusion.

Bella sighed, "They're looking for me… still." She said quietly.

"Are you sure?" Edward asked quickly, "How do you know?"

"Do you remember that night you found me crying by the piano?" She asked softly, eyes on the floor, "Right after you got here?"

"Yeah – I thought you were upset about _my_ parents…" Edward rubbed circles on her back.

"No, I wasn't crying about them, that time," she replied, indicating that she had indeed shed tears over their deaths, however. "I was scared because I overheard Hank telling Emmett and Buddy about a private investigator who called, asking if he knew a girl named Marie Dwyer." Bella picked at the hem of her tank top.

"Bells, who is she?" Edward asked her calmly.

Bella surprised him when she turned to look him right in the eye as she said: "Me."

Edward was speechless. He didn't know what that meant and he didn't know how to respond.

Bella shook her head, "You're not the only one who's changed their name." She laughed humorlessly.

"So Isabella Swan…?" He trailed off.

"Isabella is my middle name and Swan is my mother's maiden name. I always hated my real name anyway. I can still picture it in elegant script on name cards from events. I can hear my father scolding me and Michael calling it out when he returned from business trips. I hated it." She winced.

"They can't take you." Edward said firmly and when Bella's eyes met his, he said simply, "You're mine."

At that, she began to sob, burying her face in his chest and grabbing at him with her small hands, trying desperately to get closer to him, knowing that at the same time the next day, she would be alone again, without his protection.


	14. Chapter 14: November 15

AN: Would you like some lemonade? Well c'mon in then! :D lol [insert standard disclaimers, etc]

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**November 15**

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_Bella,_

_I trust this letter finds you well. I know we've been able to speak on the phone most days, but I still don't feel it's enough, so I hope you don't mind that I continue to write you these desperate love letters._

_I'm writing to you on the plane, as I fly from New York to Los Angeles. It's a dreadful flight because of its length, but better I suppose than the flights to Europe and Asia. At least I'm back in the states now, I feel a little closer to you since the time change isn't so radical, but it's still been awful without you._

_And although I wish you would have been able to accompany me on the press tour, your safety is paramount and I suppose it was the right decision for you to stay in Delta. That doesn't mean I still don't miss you terribly. I am however, glad to hear that the security system I had installed during my absence has made you feel at least somewhat safer, even though I know we'd both prefer that I was there to keep you safe myself._

_I have one more week without you, sweetheart, and it truly is a miracle that I've made it this long without you. I miss every single thing about you, from the way you talk to Jake to the pouty face you make when you want to get your way. I even miss you keeping me up late because you can't put down your romance novels._

_There isn't a second that goes by that I don't think of you and imagine how good it will feel to have you in my arms again in seven days and forever after that._

_I'm counting the minutes._

_I love you, _

_Edward_

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_

Staring at the luggage carousal, Edward was completely zoned out and utterly jet-lagged. Though the flight attendant had said what time they'd be landing, he couldn't recall the time she'd announced. It was still light outside when he got off the plane, but just barely and it was November so he thought it must be just before five – not late enough to justify going to bed the second he got home.

He'd been in New York alone for four days to promote the movie on morning TV shows and whatever else Angela had booked for him. Normally Alice and Jasper would have been with him, but they decided to return to Los Angeles early for two reasons.

First, Angela had made the executive decision that Edward should no longer wear the blonde wig he'd been sporting to keep up appearances as his famous alter-ego, Anthony Masen – she said it was time for a change and he looked much better with short hair. He was told his hair cut was causing a media frenzy and major fangirl meltdown. His new-to-the-public copper locks were a drastic change, but he was happy not to have to worry about his hairline showing; though he was still forced to wear the contacts that made his eyes look freakishly azure. At first he'd been upset, thinking that his anonymity would be compromised, but Angela assured him she'd have tighter security and so far she'd kept her promise.

The second reason Alice and Jasper returned to L.A. immediately after doing press in London was because after ten days with Edward's miserable and depressed moping, they could barely stand to be around him. The situation was further exacerbated by the fact that by day Edward was forced to be a happy and genial Anthony Masen, promoting his movie and dishing on his bogus tropical vacation in South America, but by night he sunk to the lowest of lows, pining for Bella and worried sick that he wasn't in Delta and able to protect her.

Every time he got off the phone after having talked to her, he'd sulk alone for hours knowing that although she tried to sound positive, she was having just as awful of a time as he was. He couldn't get the image out of his mind of tears streaming down her face as she pasted a smile on and waved goodbye to him in Green Bay.

The luggage carousal buzzer began to blare and Edward watched the pieces move through weary eyes, making his way through the crowd eventually when he saw his familiar suitcase.

Luckily Jasper had booked him a flight that came in through the Burbank airport again, so he didn't have to worry about the paparazzi. Still, he wore a baseball cap, just in case. His cell phone rang just as he walked out of the sliding glass doors into the comfortable L.A. weather. He picked up the call and stayed on the phone with Jasper until he was able to flag him down.

Jasper popped the trunk for Edward's luggage. Edward muttered a quick 'hi' and 'thanks' as he shut the passenger-side door. Immediately he dialed the landline for the house in Delta, but with each consecutive ring he became more alarmed. Eventually the answering machine picked up and Edward was glad he'd put his foot down and bought one for the house, though Bella insisted it wasn't necessary.

"You've reached Edward Cullen—" Bella's voice began.

"You live here too." Edward's voice argued on the message.

Bella could be heard huffing in the background before Edward said, "And Bella Swan, leave a message."

"You ruined it! Now I have to do it over ag—" Bella's voice cut off as the machine beeped and Edward chuckled, remembering when they'd recorded it.

"Hi honey, I just landed in L.A.; I hope everything's okay. Call me when you get this. I don't know how long I'll be able to stay up, but I'll leave my phone with Alice in case you call when I'm sleeping. Love you." Edward ended the call and dialed Rose.

Jasper looked at Edward worriedly, "I'm sure she's fine, I wouldn't—"

"Hey Rose." Edward silenced Jasper when Rose picked up the phone.

"Hey, whatta ya need?" She replied distractedly.

"Have you heard from Bella today?" Edward asked and had to hold the phone away from his ear when he heard Dave's shrill cry on the other end.

"Err – no, sorry." Rose said quickly.

"Okay," Edward said, disappointed, "Sorry I interrupted you." He apologized.

"No problem, bye." Rose hung up.

Edward stared at his phone and was about to dial Bella again when Jasper took the phone from his hand. "DUDE!?" Edward snatched it back from him.

"Chill out Anthony – she'll call you – relax." Jasper shook his head.

Edward rolled his eyes, knowing he'd act the same way if it was Alice who wasn't answering when she was supposed to be at home. "Whatever." He folded his arms.

"How was your flight?" Jasper tried to make idle conversation.

"Long." Edward said shortly.

"Are you hungry?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah," Edward sighed, "But I don't want to stop for fast food, I'll just—"

"Oh, no – umm – Alice's making something."

Edward's head whipped around to eye Jasper speculatively. "You and I both know that's not a good idea."

Jasper frowned, "I know… but she's been working on it all day. We're gonna have to try it at the very least."

Edward put his head in his hands and groaned. His sister, bless her heart, couldn't cook to save her life, although the food she made certainly could have ended it.

"It'll be okay… I think," Jasper tried, but Edward knew better.

They spent the rest of the ride in silence. Edward checked his phone every few seconds just to make sure he hadn't missed Bella returning his call.

A few paparazzi were stationed outside the gate to his house in the hills, no doubt waiting for his imminent return since the premiere of his movie was only two days away. But the windows of Jasper's car were tinted in the back and Edward ducked under his hat so they didn't get any decent shots.

When Jasper eventually made it up to drive and parked the car inside the garage, he told Edward to go inside and that he'd get his luggage for him.

The moment he opened the front door a delicious and painfully familiar aroma hit his nostrils. And if he couldn't miss Bella anymore, the smell of her marinara sauce changed his mind.

But then he heard her melodic laughter float into the foyer and Edward honestly thought he'd lost his mind. Regardless, upon hearing her, he ran.

Rounding the corner and skipping up a few steps, he found her – leaning up against the counter, casually giggling at some joke his sister had made.

"Bella?" He breathed in disbelief.

She turned and her eyes lit up at the sight of him. Not caring if she was a figment of his imagination, Edward rushed forward and took her in his arms, grabbing her so forcefully, he lifted her feet off the ground.

"I missed you so much, baby." She whispered into his ear, clutching him just as tightly.

And Edward could have cared less that he had an audience when he leaned down and kissed her roughly – urgently – finally.

Alice coughed behind Edward and Bella pulled away from him, blushing.

"Why are you here?" Edward shook his head, still in shock, while he held Bella's face in his palms.

"You needed me." She said simply, looking up at him with her big, beautiful brown eyes. And Edward nearly lost it.

He pulled her into a tight hug and asked, "What about your parents – traveling?"

"Jasper sent a private jet to pick me up in Hayward." Bella snuggled into his embrace, "He said it was safe."

Edward looked over her to see Jasper and Alice smirking. He mouthed a 'thank you' and looked down at Bella again before kissing the top of her head.

"I made you spaghetti with Alice." Bella told him.

"My sweet girl…" Edward smiled, leaning down and kissing her forehead, "I love you," he said, then kissed her lips before releasing her from his hold, though he refused to let go of her hand.

Bella giggled again; it was almost Edward's favorite sound in the world, second only to the way she moaned when he touched her.

She kissed his knuckles and he reluctantly let her go to finish kneading the dough for the garlic bread.

Edward watched her move around the kitchen with the same grace she always had in their home in Delta. '_Our_ home,' he thought.

Jasper entered a moment later, placing a chaste kiss on Alice's cheek before handing her some shopping bags.

"Oh yay!" She exclaimed and started digging through them immediately, "They had the ones I wanted right?" She asked Jasper.

"Yup—" Jasper looked at Bella with wide eyes, "Is she making bread from scratch?"

"Yes. _She_ is." Bella laughed, referring to herself in the third person.

"Ta! Da!" Alice exclaimed and pulled matching aprons out of one of the bags. She shoved the royal blue one at Bella and held the forest green apron at her side.

Bella looked at the apron and took a step back, beginning to panic. "Alice – I—"

Edward stepped in and grabbed the apron from Alice, she glared at him, "Can I talk to you for a second?" He said through his teeth.

Alice narrowed her eyes at him, ready for a fight, but it was Bella who diffused the situation when she came up along side Edward and gently took the blue apron from his hand. "It's okay." She attempted to reassure him as she slipped it over her head, "Thank you Alice. This is really thoughtful of you." She said genuinely.

"You're welcome!" Alice chirped, throwing her own green apron over her head, then proceeding to stick her tongue out at Edward, "You can keep it here so when you come visit, you'll have something to cook in!" She beamed.

Edward quickly moved behind Bella to help her tie the apron around her waist, "I'm sorry sweetheart, you don't have to—"

Bella stopped him short by turning suddenly and placing her index finger over his lips, "She knows," Bella said calmly.

He took her hand in his and said, "Everything?"

Bella shook her head, "No, but – well…" she glanced over at Alice who was stirring the spaghetti noodles, oblivious to their conversation. "She bought me a new wardrobe."

Edward's mouth gaped and his brow furrowed in anger, but Bella stopped him again, "It's okay, I explained my issues about people buying me things – especially clothes and she said she'd keep them after I left."

Edward raised an eyebrow in doubt.

"We're the same size, I'm just… shorter." She grumbled the last word.

Edward laughed, "Aww, I like that you're short." He kissed her forehead, "You have no idea how many things I have hidden on high shelves."

Bella frowned and shoved him away, mumbling something about getting a ladder. "Go unpack while we finish up." She ordered him.

"I like it when you're bossy." He growled playfully in her ear and slapped her butt before leaving.

Entering his old room was odd to say the least. It felt like years since he'd slept in that bed and he chuckled when he saw that it was made up. Walking across the room, he sat down on the bed and leaned over to smell the sheets – sure enough they smelled like Bella's sweet floral shampoo. He wondered how long she'd been in L.A. if she'd slept in his bed and he realized he hadn't spoken to her in at least two days because of his hectic press schedule and travel.

"You're so different." Alice's voice startled him, "I hardly recognize you." She strode toward Edward and sat down next to him on the bed with her apron still on.

"You're still not used to the hair." He joked. "She kicked you out of the kitchen, didn't she?" He laughed, knowing she'd meant something different by her comment.

"She said 'a watched pot never boils,' whatever that means." Alice shrugged and Edward laughed. "I was so scared to meet her, ya know?"

Edward turned to look at Alice, his falsely blue eyes meeting her green gaze.

"Well, she's so important to you. What if we didn't get along?" Alice reasoned and laid back on the bed with her legs dangling off the edge. "I haven't known her for very long, but I already love her."

We laughed, "She makes it hard not to; she's so sweet."

"I'm sorry about the clothes," Alice said suddenly, sitting up, "I know you told me when I got her that coat, but I didn't know—"

"It's okay; she'll get over it. It'll just take her a bit to realize you don't want anything from her." He smiled at Alice.

"But I do." She told him and when he looked at her in confusion, she said, "Have you seen her clothes?" Edward shook his head, unsure of where she was going, "She's got this hot little body and wears old baggy clothes." Edward rolled his eyes, "She's getting a make-over whether she wants one or not."

"She thinks you're keeping the clothes." Edward warned her.

"Oh sure," Alice said casually getting off the bed, "For now." She smiled, "I'll just mail them to you after you leave."

"Alice—"

"Whatever, I can be very persuasive when I want to be." She smirked, "What color dress do you want her to wear for the premiere?" She asked from the door.

"No." Edward shook his head. "She's not going to the premiere," Edward got off the bed and stalked toward Alice.

"Aww, c'mon, why not?" Alice whined, folding her arms.

"You know why not!" He growled.

"We'll see." Alice responded flippantly.

Edward would have argued further, but he caught sight of Bella approaching them from down the hall. "We're not finished with this conversation." He whispered menacingly.

Alice turned, correctly assuming Bella was close, "Bella, do you want to go to Edward's movie premiere?" She asked sweetly, much to Edward's horror.

Bella looked like a deer caught in the headlights as her eyes bounced from Alice's to Edward's and back again. "Uhh – I guess?" She replied more as a question, rather than an answer, not knowing how Edward wanted her to respond.

Alice clapped her hands.

Edward sighed.

"Wrong answer." Edward pursed his lips.

Bella looked at him in alarm.

"Ignore him." Alice chuckled.

"Dinner's ready." Bella said meekly.

Alice bounded down the hall, leaving Bella and Edward alone in front of his room.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, her lip trembling slightly.

"Oh, no – honey, it's okay." Edward said quickly, surrounding her with his arms, "You just gave her an excuse to play dress up is all." He kissed her temple and ran his hand through her hair, "I don't mind if you go; I just don't want her to make you uncomfortable."

"Stop making out!" Alice yelled down the hall, "Some of us are starving!"

Edward rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time and took Bella's hand to lead her to the dining room after he released her. "You didn't actually let her help cook anything, did you?" Edward asked in a wary, hushed whisper.

"God, no." Bella laughed, "Her heart's in the right place, but she's a disaster in the kitchen."

Edward chuckled and pulled Bella's chair out for her. Much to his surprise, dinner was oddly normal. But when he thought about it, there was really no reason it should have been awkward. After all, Bella was perfectly charming and she made dinner like she had for them in the same way that she cooked for Rose's family every week.

Apparently Bella had flown in on a chartered jet the day before. Alice and Jasper had kept her busy by showing her around town. They'd gone hiking by the Hollywood sign, driven past Hollywood and Highland (mostly because Alice said it was dirty and full of tourists, so she didn't want to stop) and they'd explored downtown by the Staples Center. Bella seemed to have had fun, but Edward felt bad that she was completely at their mercy. However, he was glad that just like she did at home, she thanked them the best way she knew how: by being her bright cheerful self, cooking and cleaning.

After dinner was finished, Edward told, rather than asked, Alice and Jasper to clean up. Before she could protest, Edward scooped Bella up in his arms and bid his sister and best friend good night, then carried her down the hall to his bedroom.

Edward threw her on the bed and got on top of her, pinning her to the mattress. He kissed her roughly, stopping abruptly, however, when he felt her pushing against his chest. Leaning back on his haunches, Edward looked at her questioningly.

"I just have to go to the bathroom," she said, embarrassed.

Edward shook his head in chagrin, but held his hand out to Bella, helping her off the bed. "You'd better hurry back," he said huskily, to which Bella raised an eyebrow, "I want to show you how much I missed you." He smirked.

Bella's blush deepened just before she giggled in nervous anticipation. She practically sprinted toward the bathroom. However, when she returned a minute later, she found Edward fast asleep, sprawled on the bed. The jet lag had finally caught up with him.

* * *

Words couldn't describe Edward's disappointment, quickly followed by anger when he woke up the next morning without Bella as Alice leaned over him, poking at his face.

"Wake up Anthony!" She shouted when she saw his eyes crack open a sliver.

"ALLY! Get off me!" He growled.

Alice began to jump up and down on Edward's bed like a five year old, though he suspected even Vera had more respect. "Bella made French toast." Alice sang as she hopped off the bed, the stripped all the covers off Edward. "Get up." She said quickly and shut the door just before Edward's pillow made contact with it.

He knew it must have been early when he showered, but his body clock was still so off kilter, he didn't trust himself. Having finished his morning routine, he sauntered into the kitchen in search of Bella but she was nowhere to be found.

"Jasper's taking her on a bunch of studio tours today." Alice said with a mouthful of French toast.

"I didn't even get to say good bye." Edward frowned as he took a plate and began to stack the food on it.

"Sorry, you were in the shower." Alice leapt off her stool and brushed past Edward to put her dishes in the sink. "We have to leave for the press junket in fifteen minutes."

Edward groaned, dragging his hands over his face, "This day is gonna take forever."

"Hey!" Alice yelled angrily, "I need Anthony Masen to show up and blow the press away." Edward opened his mouth to respond but Alice kept talking, "You were a wreck in Europe because you missed Bella. So I gave you Bella. Now you have no reason to act like this other than just being a jerk for no reason." She folded her arms over her chest.

And the day did indeed drag. Angela kept Edward company, when he wasn't answering the same five questions for the press, because Alice was texting Jasper non-stop. And that made Edward wonder how good of a companion Jasper was being for Bella if he was constantly on his phone.

But during lunch Edward got to talk to Bella on the phone and she assured him she was having a blast getting to see TV and movie sets. Though she mentioned that they'd met a few celebrities and because she was so sheltered she didn't know who they were. That made Edward laugh because she knew every single Packer and the Badger Football and Hockey line-ups. Rose was gonna kill her when she returned and told her what happened.

She apologized for leaving without saying good bye and when she said she missed him and loved him before they had to end the call, his heart swelled as he returned the sentiment. However he hated the hesitation in her voice when he told her he'd be back late as the junket would last into the night.

But the renewed energy from Bella helped him get through the rest of the day. He was disappointed to find Bella sleeping when he and Alice returned. Edward was careful not to wake her as he slipped into the bed and pulled her body against his, whispering how much he loved her just before he fell asleep himself.

The next morning he woke up in a considerably more pleasurable way than he had the previous day. Edward had been having a particularly naughty dream about Bella and assumed it was all in his head until he heard her moan. Opening his eyes, he found her hot, wet mouth wrapped around his morning wood.

"Bella…" He groaned.

She bobbed her head up and down before releasing his erection, "I just wanted to see something…" She whispered, watching him through hooded eyes. Without warning her tongue darted out and she licked the tip again, causing his eyes to roll back in his head. She continued to lick and suck her way up his shaft, grazing her teeth along his swollen member occasionally. And when he began to lift his hips up to meet her mouth, she knew he was close, so Bella was prepared when he came in her mouth with a grunt. She swallowed and licked him clean before tucking him back into his boxers and snuggling into his side.

"Have I told you how wonderful you are?" He sighed and pulled her closer, rubbing her back.

"Yeah, but you can tell me again," she giggled.

Edward leaned in to kiss her, but she stopped him, "What?" He asked, confused.

"Are you sure you—"

"Bells, you just woke me up – on _your_ birthday – with a blow job and swallowed; let me kiss you." He brushed her bangs out of her face and moved in, pulling her bottom lip between his to kiss her long and hard.

Except that the kiss wasn't nearly as long as Edward was hoping because true to form, Alice knocked on the door, interrupting their activities.

"Anthony, Bella and I have to leave for the spa!" Alice yelled through the door.

"Go Away!" Edward yelled and buried his head in the crook of Bella's neck.

"You've got ten minutes before I make Jasper break down the door! We have to stay on schedule for the fitting!" Edward could imagine Alice stomping her foot.

"I'll be out." Bella yelled before Edward clamped his hand over her mouth.

"You don't have to humor her." Edward scolded.

Bella shrugged and Edward moved his hand so he could finish kissing her properly.

Promising to let him return the favor after the premiere, Bella was able to convince Edward to let her go so she could leave on time with Alice. He told her he'd call to check up on her and warned her not to agree to anything she didn't feel comfortable doing. Bella rolled her eyes and told him he was being over protective, but said she'd follow his instruction anyway.

Edward wished her a happy birthday and promised not to remind Alice just before she left. He slept for a bit longer before he had to leave to tape a talk show appearance and then get fitted himself.

As soon as he was done with the show, Jasper rushed him out, worried that Alice would be angry if they were late – but they weren't.

Edward had been standing still for what felt like forever with his legs spread and arms outstretched so the tailor could get proper measurements. Finally he was allowed to move again, which was fortunate for him because he desperately had to go to the bathroom. However, as he made his way back to his fitting room, he heard Alice and Bella giggling.

Following the sound of their voices, Edward rounded the corner and found Alice pinning the hem of a striking dress that fell just above Bella's knees. The cranberry jersey dress was simplistic with a belt that was cinched around Bella's tiny waist, a conservative boat neckline and cap sleeves that accentuated her beautiful collar bone. And as he followed the seeming at the top, his mouth dropped slightly when he saw a small, but elegant diamond pendant attached to a chain, which settled perfectly at the hollow of her neck. He wouldn't have been nearly as shocked if the necklace hadn't belonged to his mother.

Letting his eyes travel down the short length of her dress, he feasted on the sight of her exposed legs and calves and when he eventually made it to her black patent leather heels, he had to adjust himself in his pants.

"Pervert," Bella half-shouted, making eye contact with Edward in the mirror.

Alice looked up at Bella, then over to Edward. She huffed but left the fitting area rather quickly.

"Tease," Edward whispered as he closed the distance and took Bella in his arms, kissing his favorite spot behind her ear tenderly.

"It's too short." She mumbled, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck.

"I'm more concerned about those shoes." He chuckled, "Are you gonna be able to walk around without breaking a leg?"

"Sure," She said honestly and pulled back from Edward slightly to bring her hand to the side of his face, "I used to wear heels that were way taller almost every day." She traced his cheek bone and when his brow furrowed in concern at her response, she merely giggled then used her index finger to smooth down the creases that had formed between his eyebrows. "It's like riding a bike." She said softly, looking into his eyes. Then she crinkled her nose and said, "I hate those contacts – they creep me out."

"I hate them too." He kissed her lips, "And the dress isn't short enough," he said daringly and grabbed her ass, squeezing it gently before she yelped in protest and shoved him away.

"I'd say get a room, but we don't have time." Alice clicked her tongue from behind them.

Edward groaned and kissed Bella shortly and sweetly before taking Alice by her arm and dragging her around the corner. "Is that Mom's necklace?" He hissed.

"Yes." She planted her hands on her hips, "Mom willed all her jewelry to me and I wanted Bella to have it. It is her birthday after all." She angrily justified her reasoning, "Not that it's any of your business, but I didn't think you'd have a problem with it."

"Ally, I don't," Edward shook his head, "But didn't she? I can't imagine it was easy for her to accept something that means so much." He tried to make his sister understand, but was immediately concerned when she diverted her eyes from his, "Alice…"

"I didn't tell her…" She said under her breath.

"Didn't tell her what?" Edward said in a hushed growl.

Alice's gaze met his defiantly, "I didn't tell her it was Mom's – I knew she wouldn't take it."

"Aww, Alice…" Edward covered his face with his hands.

"The way she talks about Mom – I knew Bella was special to her and it's so cruel that she has nothing to remember them by when they meant so much to her – saved her." Alice clearly wasn't going to back down – she rarely did.

"Okay," Edward said with chagrin, "But you have to tell her." He commanded.

Alice's mouth gaped for a split second before she abruptly closed it and said, "Fine."

"Right now," Edward raised an eyebrow, calling her bluff.

And sure enough, Alice's shoulders slumped in defeat and she traipsed back over to the fitting room with Edward on her heels.

"Bella…" She said hesitantly. Bella turned and grew concerned when she saw the look on Edward's face.

"I lied to you about the necklace I gave you for your birthday." She said quietly. And the fact that she kept emphasizing that it was a birthday gift, in order to make Bella feel preemptively guilty, should she want to give it back, was not lost on Edward.

"It's umm – it's not a fake diamond…"Alice's eyes were on the floor.

"And…" Edward goaded her.

"It belonged to our mom." Alice's apologetic eyes met Bella's. "But I want you to have it – we both do!" She said frantically looking back at Edward, "Please keep it – Mom loved you – and so do we – please!" She begged.

Bella's eyes bounced back and forth between Edward and Alice before she sighed and said, "Okay." Alice had begun clapping her hands, excited that she had won, however Bella wasn't finished, "But—" she began, "Under one condition." She eyed Alice speculatively, "You don't get to buy or give me anything else for the rest of the time I'm in L.A." She proposed.

Edward couldn't hide his smirk and when Bella looked at him for approval he winked at her, proud that she'd stood up to Alice.

"UGH!" Alice stomped her foot, "FINE!" She pouted.

Edward gave Bella a thumbs up and motioned that he had to leave so she blew him a kiss and waved good bye before he turned to find his way back to Jasper and the tailor.

Soon the fitting ended but Edward was let down when he found out he had to take a different car to the premiere than Bella, although it did make sense. Angela and Alice both accompanied him to the premiere.

Edward would never get used to the piercing sound of hundreds if not thousands of girls screaming at him outside the theater in Westwood. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the town car and helped Alice then Angela out the door.

Alice took a moment to straighten his suit and tie before resting her hand on his forearm and leading him to the front of the press line where he was all smiles and dashing charm. Inside he was freaking out and desperately searching through the throngs of fans and reporters for his beautiful and sweet girl.

However just when he had given up on getting a glimpse of her before the premiere, he saw her, arm laced through Jasper's and a look of slight panic written on her face but she was doing her very best to be brave.

But then everything changed. It almost seemed to happen in slow motion as Edward watched, just out of reach and completely helpless to aid her, unless he wanted to make the cover of every tabloid.

Jessica Stanley, a very well known socialite and famous-for-nothing celebrity approached Bella from the side, calling her given name 'Marie' and hugging her tightly the moment Bella acknowledged her. Bella gave her a fake smile, motioned to Jasper, who was frozen, unsure what to do and then Jessica turned and made direct eye contact with Edward before continuing to gush. Edward was devastated, though he was momentarily relieved when Jasper finally woke the hell up and stepped in, shooing Jessica away before conferring with Bella. Jasper handed Bella something Edward couldn't see and then she turned and left.

'SHE LEFT!' Edward's mind screamed.

Angela and Alice tried to get him back on track with the interview he was botching but there was no chance in hell he could relax until Bella was safe in his arms.

Somehow he managed to finish his interviews in a daze and he told Alice she needed to find Jasper immediately.

"What the fuck happened!?" Edward growled when he finally got a chance to talk to Jasper in private.

"Anthony." Jasper placed his palms on Edward's shoulders, "Calm down; she's safe."

"Where is she!? What happened!?" Edward was still panicked.

"I don't know where she is," Edward was about to interrupt Jasper, enraged that he'd allowed Bella to go off in L.A. alone; however, Jasper continued, "BUT; she has my phone and I have my GPS app turned on, so you can find her with Alice's cell." He took a deep breath and encouraged Edward to do the same. "Jessica knew Bella – said they were debutantes together. She recognized me too and asked if Bella knew you." Jasper winced.

Edward groaned and ran his hands over his face and through his disheveled hair, "I have to find her." He shook his head.

"You can't." Jasper said quickly.

"Dude, you have got to be kidding me here!" Edward nearly shouted.

"You're contract says you have to stay through the premiere and you have to at least make an appearance at the after party," Again Jasper stopped Edward from exploding in anger, "I'll have Alice call her every ten minutes and make sure she's okay."

"Why didn't you go with her?" Edward asked, completely exasperated and worried out of his mind.

"She wouldn't let me, so I just gave her the phone. I didn't want to make a scene – Jessica was right there." Jasper explained, clearly apologetic that things had turned out so disastrously.

"I want updates ever ten minutes then." Edward said through clenched teeth, poking Jasper square in the chest. "If anything happens to her—"

"I'm on it. Nothing's gonna happen." Jasper reassured him.

"There you are!" Angela poked her head around the corner, unaware of their argument, "We have to take our seats – everyone's waiting for you."

Edward gave Jasper one final poignant glare before he went to follow Angela into the theater. He spent the duration of the film sunk into his chair as far as it would go, with his hands covering his face in embarrassment. He made it no secret that he hated watching himself on film and that night was no exception.

Finally, the torture ended and he was whisked off to the after party, where he had brief conversations with the director and his co-star, Victoria. And it was Victoria who helped him escape by snagging Alice's phone and causing a distraction while Edward caught a cab.

Alone at last, he used Alice's phone to call Bella, but she didn't answer. Again he called with the same result. It took him a moment to figure out how to work the GPS linked to Jasper's phone and he chuckled thinking that Alice probably had it installed because she had a terrible sense of direction and got lost in L.A. all the time. But since Jasper had grown up in the valley, he could always get her to where she needed to go.

After a second to calibrate, he found her and told the cab driver to take him to the Santa Monica Pier, telling him the faster he drove, the bigger tip he'd get. And the driver did indeed rise to the challenge.

The GPS wasn't exactly precise, since he wasn't on the road, but he had an idea where he might find Bella and he didn't have to walk very far along the shore before he found her sitting – or rather shivering – alone, visible tear tracks along her cheeks.

Quickly he shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over her shoulders, startling her. She looked up at him – she was frightened.

"I've never seen the ocean before." She said in a trembling voice, trying to be brave again.

"I was so worried about you." He whispered, sitting down next to her, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered, a fresh round of tears threatening to make an appearance. "I just – I couldn't stay there…" She choked.

"I know sweetheart." He cooed, brushing her soft curls with his fingers, "Jasper told me what happened." He kissed her temple.

"They're gonna find me." She hiccupped, "Jessica said they've been looking – she'll tell her parents she saw me – and they'll—"

"Bella… shhh…" Edward tried to comfort her, "Honey, what could they do to you? You're an adult. Do you think they'd hurt you?" He tried to understand.

"They'll make me go through with the wedding – Jessica said he's still hung up on me. It's been five years!" She cried in anger.

"Wedding?" Edward croaked, regretting it the second the word passed through his lips.

Bella looked up at him with tearful eyes and began to sob again, "I'm sorry…" She quietly wailed, "I couldn't tell you… how could I tell you?" She spoke to herself.

"You can tell me anything Bella. Nothing you do or say will make me love you any less." He whispered into her hair.

Bella pulled back from him, "That's not true," she shook her head doubtfully; her tone was full of shame.

"Tell me," he pleaded, "I promise."

Bella took a deep breath, trying to calm herself and what she told Edward did shock him, but it could never change his mind about her.

"I was engaged to Michael. He just gave me a ring one day. He never asked and I never answered. We just were." She sighed and pulled Edward's jacket more securely around her small frame. "I left the night before my wedding. I had one final fitting for my dress after the rehearsal dinner. I came out of the dressing room and my mom started crying – she never cried, she was never emotional about anything." Bella paused, reveling in her memory. "She asked me if this was what I wanted and I knew what she meant – she meant… everything." Bella looked up at Edward. "I couldn't lie to her – I can't lie to anyone," She shook her head, "So I said 'no.'"

Bella didn't speak for a few minutes, Edward prompted her to continue by asking, "What did she do?" In a quiet and soothing voice as he rubbed her back gently.

"She told me to leave." Bella said as if she was still in shock at he mother's response. "She told me to get dressed and gave me the keys to a car waiting for me outside – I wasn't supposed to know how to drive, but the head chef, Charlie, taught me when my parents were gone on business… he was more of parent to me than either of mine ever were. I still wonder if she asked him to do it…" Bella went off on a tangent. "Anyway, she told me to drive as far away as I could get and to get out while I had a chance. She said she'd leave a note so nobody thought something bad had happened – just that I got cold feet and ran…" Bella snuggled into Edward's arms, "It was the first and only time that she was ever a mother to me, but I'll never forget what she did so I could live a life I'd chosen for myself." Bella shook her head, "I can't let them find me."

"There's no way I'll let them get to you." Edward said firmly. "And even if they did find you, they can't force you to marry that jerk."

"Edward, you might have a lot of money, but they have so much more – if they found me – the hell they'd put you through wouldn't be worth it." She was resigned to the fact that there was a real possibility she'd have to return to Seattle.

"I won't let you go." Edward practically growled.

"No, I don't suppose you would," She laughed humorlessly, "But then again, it's not like we'd have a choice."

Edward didn't know how to respond, she was so scared and no matter what he said, she only seemed to get more adamant about the fact that they wouldn't win.

"I wanna go home." Bella's soft voice carried just over the sound of the waves crashing along the shore.

It was easy to find a cab at the pier and it didn't take them very long to return to Edward's house in the hills. Edward kept Bella tucked into his side, though he said nothing to her the entire car ride and for quite a while when they got inside.

The house was empty since Alice and Jasper were still at the after party. When they entered the house, Bella took Edward's hand and led him into his bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She pushed Edward until he sat down on the bed. He tried in vain to make eye contact with her, in an attempt to decipher what was going through her mind.

Gently she tugged Edward's shirt over his head, then proceeded to take her dress off. Clad only in a matching set of black lace panties and a bra, she stalked toward Edward and her hands went for his belt.

"Bella…" His hands were on top of hers, halting her immediately. It was then that her eyes met his and there were so many emotions swimming around in their chocolate depths that Edward was quite taken aback. There was no doubt in his mind that she still looked upset and affected by the events of that night, but aside from that, they were lustful. She very much wanted him.

"Edward…" She mirrored his tone and shoved his shoulders suddenly, which surprised him so much he actually flopped back on the bed, and again her hands were on his belt.

"Bells, sweetheart," he struggled to get up and stop her, which was especially hard when her hand grazed his erection, eliciting a low hiss from his mouth.

"See," She smirked at him, "You want me too."

"Bella, stop!" He cut her off abruptly, "I won't take advantage of you." He grabbed her face with his hands, "I love you."

"I just want to feel something… please…" She said, exasperated and removed his hands from her face. "You're not taking advantage of me!" She argued, "I want this and we would have done it in Green Bay if we hadn't been interrupted. So why does it matter if we do it now?" She stared at Edward as she stood at the end of the bed while he sat.

"Because it should be special—" Edward tried to reason, reaching his hands out for hers.

Bella took a step forward, but refused his hands, "This _is_ special." She shook her head, willing him to understand, "I don't need candles and rose petals," she cringed and Edward wondered if Michael had tried those things, "I just need _you_." She cupped his face in her hands.

Edward looked up at her for a long moment, trying to decide what to do. He'd be lying to himself if he said he didn't want her, but would they wake up in the morning and regret it?

Bella moved forward and wrapped her arms around his neck as she whispered, "Please, make love to me."

And there was just no going back after that.

"Okay…" Edward said reluctantly and held her close for a minute before releasing her. "Take your bra off and get on the bed." He instructed her and Bella complied immediately, neatly setting her bra next to her dress on the vanity. Then she climbed onto the bed, sitting up slightly, waiting for him.

Edward unfastened his pants and didn't bother picking them up off the floor. Then he climbed on the bed after Bella, still wearing his boxers and used his lips and tongue and fingers to show her just how much he needed her.

Long languid kisses and sweet, tender caresses soon became urgent and passionate as they both worked their tandem arousals.

Bella cried out when Edward's fingers dipped below her panties and stroked her wet and wanting slit. Quickly he grabbed a condom and slipped his boxers off.

In a surprising move, Bella shimmied out of her own panties, throwing them on the floor without looking and took the condom from Edward. She licked the tip of his cock before unrolling the condom, as if to prove once and for all that she was ready and willing.

Bella laid back down on the bed and Edward moved closer, spreading her legs as he loomed over her. "We can't take this back," he murmured, worriedly.

"I don't want to," She panted, "I love you… please…" Bella begged.

Edward took one more sweeping glance at her beautiful and naked body spread out beneath him before he nodded. He positioned himself at her entrance, slowly stroking her with his cock to use the lubrication her body offered him. Her moans spurred on his actions.

Slowly he pushed the head into her, but stopped immediately when she cried out in pain. "Bella!?" He yelled in alarm.

Her eyes were screwed shut as she shook her head and said quickly, "I'm okay – keep going."

But Edward wasn't stupid; he knew something was wrong, "Bella, you need to relax." He said calmly, rubbing her sides and ghosting his hands over her perfect breasts. "Take a deep breath." He requested and as she exhaled he tried pushing into her just a little more, but again the pain was too much for her. Without another word he pulled out of Bella, causing her to whimper in defeat.

"No – please!" She sat up, wincing slightly, "Please, try again! I promise I'll relax!"

"Bella, it's just not right, honey." He shook his head, wondering what the hell had gone so wrong. Was it physical? Was it mental? He knew he was bigger than Michael, but he didn't think it'd make such a huge difference. She was certainly tight, but he thought most women would be if they hadn't had sex in five years – she was practically a virgin. But he couldn't help but wonder if he'd made the wrong decision in giving in to her.

"Please try again," Bella sniffed as she began to cry, "Please – I'm sorry."

Edward took the condom off and tucked his painful erection into his boxers, "It's okay. Don't apologize – it's okay." He tried to calm her down. "Let me make you feel good." He whispered, squeezing her hand and looking into her eyes.

"I want you inside me." She choked.

"Not tonight honey, I can't hurt you." He told her. They'd just have to figure something else out, "We'll try again when we get back – just let me make you feel good." His hand trailed down her body but she shoved him away and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door and locking it behind her.

"Open the door Bella." Edward's voice cracked, but when she didn't respond he rammed into the door, shattering the lock.

Bella looked up at him in terror from the bathtub where she was curled up into herself in the corner.

Without a single word uttered between them, Edward climbed into the tub, pulling Bella into his arms. He rocked her gently while she sobbed.


	15. Chapter 15: November 26

**AN:** Lemons a'hoy.

* * *

**November 26**

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* * *

**

_Bella,_

_I feel like there's so much I want to say to you, but I don't know where to begin. Actually, that's a lie, the first thing I need to tell you is that I'm sorry._

_I took advantage of you after the premiere because I wanted you too much and now I've ruined everything. You haven't said anything and I will most likely chicken out and throw this letter away but I know you're not okay. I can see how scared you are and I don't know what to do to make you feel safe again._

_I get the feeling that you think you've failed in some way and you have to know that is not true at all. It didn't feel right and I should have turned you down, even though the rejection may have made you feel just as upset. But at least then you'd just be angry with me, rather than defeated. Every time I look in your eyes I know, __**I**__ was the one who failed. I failed you, sweetheart and I'll never forgive myself for hurting you physically and emotionally._

_I know this is hard, but I just need you to talk to me. I need you to communicate and tell me how you're feeling and what I can do to make it better for you._

_I hope you don't think I've been keeping my distance because I don't want you – I've just been trying to give you space. Though I won't pretend that I've been anything less than miserable since you've decided to sleep in your room alone. Bella, I belong to you and you belong to me. Please, talk to me._

_I love you, _

_Edward_

_

* * *

_

"Morning honey," Edward kissed Bella's temple, frowning when she flinched and only responded with a small half smile. He took a step back from her, not wanting to upset her if she didn't want him touching her. "Tell me the plan for the day; what can I do to help you?" Edward asked sincerely, grabbing the orange juice out of the fridge. Bella had been freaking out over Thanksgiving for the entire five days they'd been back in Delta. Rose's family was coming over and though they would have been happy with anything, considering Rose didn't have to cook, Bella was still determined to make a show of it.

"Go relax; I have everything covered." She responded vacantly, moving around Edward to wash the turkey in the sink.

"There must be something I can do to make your day easier." He offered, hating that she was so stressed. "Anything?"

"Ya know what you can do?" Bella replied in a clipped tone, "You can take Jake and leave me alone."

Edward took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Ever since their failed attempt at having sex, Bella had been cold and distant. Edward had been patient, but he could only take so much, "I know you're stressed," he said through clenched teeth, "And I know today is not the day to get into anything with you, but _this_ has got to stop."

Bella dropped the turkey and spun around to face him, "Go ahead," she snapped, "Just say it. It's not like I wasn't expecting this."

"Expecting _what_?" His brow furrowed.

"You don't have to explain, you can just leave." She said coldly.

"I am _NOT_ leaving." Edward shouted, "And neither are you. _We_ are gonna deal with this _together_."

Bella's eyes were downcast and Edward hated that she would just automatically submit when they had a serious disagreement.

Edward walked over to her and gathered her into his arms, taking note that she didn't return his embrace, but instead just stood there limply. "I love you…" he whispered, "Seeing you like this breaks my heart," he choked and brought one hand up to stroke her hair, though she remained motionless. "If you want me to leave, I'll go." He sighed.

And though she didn't tell him to stay, she wrapped her arms around him and snuggled into his embrace just a little.

"I miss you." He held her tighter. "But I don't know what you want."

"Don't go." She sniffled meekly, "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too, Bells." Edward pulled back from her and brought his hand to tip her chin up so he could kiss her; an action that he'd been denied since arriving in Delta.

Their lips parted after a moment and Edward rested his forehead against Bella's, "Can we just be okay for today… please?"

Bella nodded slowly and pulled his face down to hers to kiss him again. "My sweet girl…" he whispered into her mouth.

And then she giggled softly. Edward smiled, relishing the sound and relief washed over him, thinking that they were going to be okay eventually.

"I guess you can peel potatoes." Bella told him.

"Great!" Edward beamed.

"But eat your breakfast first," she instructed him as she went back to the sink.

Edward laughed, his Bella was definitely in there. He grabbed a bagel and popped it into the toaster then sat down at the breakfast bar, "Tell me what you're making today." He requested sweetly, knowing it would get her talking.

Bella ran through the whole menu, while Edward ate then he peeled potatoes before getting ready. He kept Rose, Emmett and the kids occupied in the basement after they'd arrive so Bella had the kitchen to herself.

He felt guilty though, because he knew how hard she was working when all he had to do was sit Chuck and Vera in front of the TV and regale Rose and Emmett with the elaborate proposal Jasper had thought up to ask Alice to marry him. He planned to execute his plan that day, so Edward was nervously awaiting a call from Alice and hopefully Jasper as well.

Things were going great until Bella called them up for the food. Edward tried to help her, but she had shut down again and was quite short with him. He tried to ask her if everything was okay but she merely ignored him. He was completely bewildered.

Thankfully Vera was very talkative during their meal, not to mention Emmett and Rose argued the whole time about the actual severity of a snow storm that was scheduled to hit Delta overnight. There was no awkward conversation between the couple in front of their company. However, Edward couldn't help but notice the fact that Bella was glaring at him when she thought he wasn't looking.

But Edward wasn't the only one who had noticed something was off. Rose cornered him when he went to grab another beer in hopes of numbing himself to the situation.

"What the heck is going on between the two of you!?" Rose hissed from behind him.

Edward practically slammed the refrigerator door shut behind him, "Fuck if I know!" He growled.

Rose pursed her lips, assuming he was lying, "What did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything to her." He said in a hushed whisper, then added, "But maybe that's the problem." He scowled to himself.

"Well, whatever it is, just apologize and raise the white flag. I've never seen her so pissed, except for when you first got here." Rose raised her eyebrow at Edward.

He set his beer down and ran his hands over his face, "Just – just stay out of this." He whimpered.

Rose folded her arms over her chest, "Fine." She said coolly and walked back into the dining room. Edward's heart dropped – Rose was the second to last person he wanted to piss off, as Bella seemed to already be a lost cause.

After everyone was finished eating, Edward insisted on doing the dishes and did everything short of threatening Bella to convince her to go downstairs and enjoy the football game with their friends. She put up a good fight but eventually relented and joined Rose and Emmett in the basement.

Edward brought the pie Bella had made for dessert downstairs when he was finished cleaning up. Rose's family took off just after the game had ended to beat the blizzard.

Edward had just come in from letting Jake out, since the snow had been getting steadily heavier, when he heard Bella ascending the stair, no doubt planning to spend another night alone in her bedroom. But Edward would have none of it.

He sprinted through the house and up the stairs and grabbed Bella just before she got to her room, throwing her over his shoulder, ignoring her protests.

"Edward! Put me down this instant!" She screeched, "You can't just carry me around like a sack of potatoes."

"Sure I can," he laughed, slapping her ass before opening the door to his room.

"No! I don't want to be in here!" She shrieked. "Leave me alone! Put me down!"

"If you insist," He chuckled, throwing her on the bed and quickly scrambling on top of her, pinning her to the mattress.

"This isn't what I had in mind," she growled, refusing to make eye contact.

"Too bad." He used one hand to hold her wrists above her head and the other to start unbuttoning her red blouse. "You looked so beautiful today." He sighed, pausing briefly to place kisses along her jaw line and suck on her collar bone.

"Stop, please…" She whined, "You don't want me anyway…"

Edward frowned, "That's not true." He said quickly then finished unbuttoning her shirt to reveal the same black lace bra he'd seen her in the night of the premiere. "Oh. I'm so glad you kept this." He sighed, eyes darting from her breasts then to her eyes, which were focused on the wall. "Now why on earth would you think I don't want you?" Edward asked thoughtfully as he moved his weight back to his heels, still straddling her, but the new position allowed him access to her pants.

"You know why…" She whispered.

Edward swallowed thickly, watching tears form in her eyes. "I would have hurt you." He said softly.

"I wanted you to." She choked.

"Do you think so little of yourself that you think you deserve something like that? You deserve to be worshipped and adored and—"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Bella cried.

Edward was shocked by her outburst and she used that moment to get out from beneath him. But Edward didn't follow her when she went to the door and Bella sensed that he wouldn't, "Besides, it's not like you ever want to have a future with me."

"How could you say that?" Edward shook his head.

"I heard you talking to Rose about Jasper proposing and I know you didn't tell me because you didn't want me to think that'd be us some day." Bella stifled, holding back tears.

Slowly Edward got up from the bed and approached Bella, who had backed into the hall. His body was mere inches from hers when he whispered, "I fully intend to marry you Isabella; I just haven't asked yet."

She staggered back another step from him, shaking her head in disbelief and muttered, "You're lying." Then she took off for her room.

Edward stayed in his room for a few hours. At first he tried reading and when he realized he'd been scanning the same paragraph over and over he gave up and tried to sleep with the same result. Around midnight he left his room to use the bathroom and on the way back he heard Bella crying. The sound of her sobbing because of him tore Edward up inside.

He sat in the hall, outside her room and eventually when Bella had cried herself to sleep, against his better judgment, he snuck inside and got into her bed. Careful not to wake her up, he didn't try to pull her against him, he just kissed away her tear tracks and took her hand in his, wanting to feel the softness and warmth of her skin somehow. Finally being next to her and knowing she was safe, it didn't take Edward very long to fall asleep.

But he hadn't been sleeping for very long when a rough shove woke him. "What!? What!? I'm up!" He shouted in alarm, trying to focus in the darkness.

Bella was sitting up in the bed, arms crossed, eyes narrowed angrily, "Why are you in my room?" She pouted, "I don't want you in here."

"Aww, Bells…" Edward whined, raking his hands over his face, "I didn't – I heard you crying – I just – I can't sleep without you; okay?" He stuttered.

Bella uncrossed her arms, "You're a jerk…" she said half-heartedly, trying to convince herself to stay mad at him.

"I know," Edward sighed and pulled himself up on his elbows, "But I need you. I'm sorry."

"You didn't have to turn off the heat just to get me to cuddle with you." She accused him.

"I didn't turn the heat off," he replied in confusion. Edward turned to look at Bella's alarm clock to see what time it was, but the clock was dead, "Shit." He muttered.

"Don't swear." Bella scolded.

"The snow knocked the power out." Edward told her.

Bella's mouth dropped and Edward was pretty sure he could see panic written on her face, even in the dark. "It's okay," he took her hand and when she tried to pull away he tightened his grip. Bella huffed in defeat. "Don't be like this," he pleaded.

"Like what?" She said innocently, raising her eyebrows in defiance.

Edward sighed, she couldn't stay mad at him forever… could she? "Tell me how to fix this." He asked.

"You can't." She said shortly.

Edward did have one idea, however.

He abruptly got out of the bed.

"Edward!" She said in alarm; he turned back to face her, "Where are you going?" She asked meekly, not wanting to seem too interested.

"I'll be right back." He said quickly and disappeared down the hall.

Bella called after him, but he didn't return for another twenty minutes.

"I was about to send out a search party," Bella complained when he returned. Edward laughed as he approached the bed, "Do you trust me?" He asked Bella, suddenly very serious as he held a hand out to her.

"I'm still mad at you." She told him before she took his hand.

He helped her off the bed and wrapped his arm around her as he led her toward the stairs. But instead of going down, Edward tugged her forward toward the flight that led to the third floor.

"We're going up there?" Bella asked timidly.

"Uh huh," Edward confirmed as they started up the stairs.

"But it's creepy up here at night." She said, wrapping her arms tighter around his torso.

"Trust me, sweetheart." He whispered and kissed the top of her head.

But when they got to the third floor landing, Bella paused as she saw light flickering inside the master bedroom. He pulled her and again she followed him toward the suite to find that he had lit a fire in the fireplace across from the huge sleigh bed. The room was already considerably warmer than the rest of the house.

"You did this?" She looked up at him imploringly.

He nodded with a small smirk on his face, "You said you were cold, and we can't have that."

Bella smiled at him before burying her face in his chest.

"You know Bells. . . there are other ways we can keep warm. . ." He whispered huskily.

She pulled back to look at him again, wondering if he meant what she wanted him to. "Really?" Her lip trembled slightly.

"I do have some conditions." He said apprehensively.

"Okay. . ."

Edward led her over to the bed, gripping her waist to help her up on to the high mattress before climbing in after her.

"First, you have to do exactly what I tell you." He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to challenge him, but she said nothing.

He nodded in approval and took his shirt off in one swift motion, throwing it on the ground. "Second, you _have got_ to tell me if I'm hurting you." She opened her mouth to protest, but he continued, "It doesn't mean we'll stop, we'll just try and adjust so you're more comfortable." He told her.

Bella thought for a moment but said, "Okay," realizing she needed to agree with him.

"Good girl." He smiled and leaned forward, lifting Bella's tank top over her head and throwing it on the ground next to his shirt. He let his fingers run over her breasts for a quick second, causing a small moan to fall from her lips.

"Finally, if this doesn't work, We'll have to stop tonight, but that doesn't mean we won't try again and it certainly doesn't mean I don't want you." He said firmly, locking eyes with hers, "Trust me, if you had any kind of idea how hard you make me, you'd never question me again." He laughed darkly.

"So?" He questioned after a beat.

"Okay." She said again, "Whatever you want." She smiled, "Just tell me what to do."

"You're not gonna be mad at me anymore?" He asked.

"No. . ." She said sheepishly.

"Because I would have told you about Jasper if you'd been speaking to me." He rubbed her arm.

"I'm sorry," She moved forward, snuggling into his lap and pressing her bare chest against his.

"And you're not allowed to sleep in your room anymore. I was miserable without you." He said softly, bending down so he could kiss his favorite spot behind her ear.

"I'm sorry. . ." She said again and then Edward felt her hand on his obvious erection, "Can I make it up to you?" She looked at him innocently, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.

"God you're so fucking hot," he panted and all but attacked her mouth with his. His tongue massaged hers roughly and he broke the kiss for a moment to shove Bella on her back.

"What're you doing. . .?" She moaned.

Edward kissed her hard for a second time, wondering if he'd bruised her lips after he came up for air. She clawed at him, trying to bring his mouth back to hers but he stopped her. "I'm gonna make you come so hard you'll be screaming my name because you've forgotten yours." He growled.

"How long have you been holding onto that line?" She snorted.

"You are so gonna get it." He threatened her and moved down her body, taking the sides of her panties through his fingers and tugging them down "Lift your hips, honey." He breathed and she complied just before they joined the other clothing on the floor.

"Edward. . ." Bella keened.

But instead of answering Bella, he slid his fingers between her legs, just to make sure she was as wet as she sounded. "Do I do this to you?" He asked gruffly as he spread her legs apart and moved to kneel between them.

"Yes. . . god, yes. . ." She cried as he trailed his fingers over her swollen clit.

"Tell me you're mine." He chuckled at the power he had over her.

"No fair!" She called him out and tried to move, but he had her legs pinned down, just like earlier in the night.

"Say it!" He laughed.

"No!" She countered, unable to conceal another giggle.

"You asked for it." He moved onto his stomach and ran his tongue over her slit up to her clit.

"YOURS!" She cried, "I'm yours – Oh god – yours, yours!"

"That's what I thought," He smirked and ran his hands up and down the outside of her thighs.

"Jerk. . ." She pouted.

Edward hovered over her so they were nose to nose, "So you don't want me to make you come?" He joked.

Bella frowned, "I didn't say that."

"Who do you belong to?" Edward enjoyed teasing her physically and mentally, knowing that the longer it went on, the more relaxed she became and the more likely she was to forget where their exchange was going to end.

"Ugh!" She whined, "Please. . ."

"Then just say it." He kissed a trail from her chin down her neck to her breasts.

"You have to say it first." She panted while he palmed one breast and sucked on the other.

Gently he bit down on her hardened nipple.

"EDWARD!" She cried out, half in protest, half in ecstasy.

He released her and brought his face close to hers, "Oh Bella. . ." He pulled her bottom lip between his and sucked hard, causing her to writhe beneath him, "I'm a fool for you." He kissed her softly then, "I fell in love with you the second I met you." Edward nuzzled her neck and brushed her hair with his fingers, "I've always belonged to you."

Bella sighed beneath him, "I belong to you too." Her fingers danced across his bare back.

Without another word, Edward moved his attention back down to her arousal. He stroked her then moved two fingers gently inside her, curling them slightly to find her spot. Again he put his mouth on her, sucking her clit then circling it with his tongue.

Her hips began to come off the bed and he worked his fingers more quickly inside her to bring her to her climax. Her moans had become louder and Edward knew she was close, so he took the opportunity to graze her clit with his teeth and smiled smugly when she cried his name out as she came around his fingers. He continued to stroke her as she came down from her euphoria and murmured sweet nothings in her ear while she tried to catch her breath.

"Edward. . ." She sighed.

"Yes sweetheart?" He cooed, kissing her forehead.

"I thought you were gonna make love to me – not that I'm complaining. . ." She added quickly.

"I am, I just need you to relax first," He laughed, but he didn't mind that she was impatient. "Do you think you're ready?" He asked softly, brushing her bangs out of her eyes.

She made eye contact with him and nodded, smiling all the while.

"Okay," he ran his knuckles over her cheek then rolled onto his back and shimmied out of his sweatpants.

"Do I do that to you?" Bella said in a seductive voice, mocking Edward's erection, tented in his boxers.

"You better watch it little girl." He pointed his finger in jest.

Bella surprised him when she grabbed his hand and took his extended finger in her mouth, sucking hard, as if to illustrate her point.

Edward groaned.

"Alright, that's enough. . ." he shook his head, "I want you to straddle me." Edward instructed her.

Her lips parted, she was clearly taken aback, "You want _me_ to be on top?" She squeaked.

"Well, yeah, honey." He leaned back on his elbows, "I thought maybe it wouldn't hurt so much from a different angle." He explained.

"Oh. . ." She said as though she hadn't even considered trying a different position.

Then she cocked a brow, "You want me to ride you?" Bella's voice was mischievous.

"Yeah," he chuckled.

"I don't know what to do." She said uncertainly.

"Well, we should probably get my boxers off first," He grinned suggestively.

She smiled back at him and slipped her fingers under the waistband of his underwear before slowly dragging them down his legs, releasing his cock from the confines of the fabric.

Edward was about to reach for the condom he'd placed on the night stand, but Bella's hot, wet mouth around his head stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Fuck…" He hissed at the sensation.

She slid his member farther into her mouth and then sucked hard as she moved back, releasing it with a pop. "What've I got to do, to stop your cussing?" She licked her lips and gave him a Cheshire smile as her small hand went around him, pumping him twice, "Now what?" She breathed.

"If you—" Edward swallowed, trying not to climax as she had begun to stroke him again. "Bells, you have got to stop that unless you want me to come right now." He panted.

"Oops," She smiled coquettishly and instead linked her hand with his.

"C'mere." He gently pulled her forward a bit, "Spread your knees a little farther," He told her as he rolled the condom on then positioned his tip at her entrance, coating himself in her lubrication, "I want you to slowly move down. Go at whatever pace feels comfortable." He rubbed his free hand up and down her side, "Just relax; you're in control… but whatever you do, don't slam down on me." He warned her.

She nodded emphatically.

"Okay, ready?" He asked.

"Yeah," she replied quietly, already trying to concentrate on what she was about to do.

And so slowly Edward didn't even feel it at first, she began to sink down on him. Once the head was in, Edward sighed. She felt more amazing around him than he could have ever imagined. She stopped briefly, wincing and Edward was about to ask if she was okay when her eyes locked with his and she said, "I just need a second to get used to you."

Bella leaned forward, angling her body over Edward's and closed her eyes before she continued to impale herself on him while he held her hands and told her how beautiful she was and how well she was doing.

And then she stilled once more and Edward realized it was because he was completely buried in her, right up to the hilt. "I knew you could do it, sweetheart." He smiled softly.

"Now what?" She sighed, contented.

"Whenever you're ready, you can start moving. I'll help you climax – don't worry about me." He ran his hand down her arm and squeezed her hand where it was connected to his chest.

She took a few deep breaths before she began to rock herself against Edward. Her mouth parted slightly once they hit a slow, steady rhythm. Both were completely and utterly lost to the feeling of one another. It was as if their bodies had always been destined to share the connection.

When Edward felt her picking up the pace, he let his hand trail down her body and he began rubbing her clit, "I want you to come again, honey."

Bella merely moaned in response and thrust against him harder. Edward could feel that his own orgasm was moments away, so he picked up his pace, rubbing her with one hand and palming her breasts with the other, while letting his hips rise up to meet hers. Edward's name was all Bella was capable of uttering as she climaxed; her walls tightened around Edward inside of her and sent him over the edge right beside her.

Bella collapsed on top of Edward, still joined to him. They panted together for a moment before he told her he needed to pull out.

Reluctantly she slid off him, whimpering when she had completely released him.

"I feel empty…" She sniffed, "You felt so right inside me…"

"I know…" he sighed and pulled the covers over them both, "Oh, do you need your clothes?" He asked quickly. Despite his best efforts to get her to sleep naked with him, she insisted on wearing at least her panties to bed. Knowing it had to do with Michael, he didn't pressure her.

"Yeah," she said, lazily sliding off the bed, "I'm just gonna go clean up quick." She told Edward.

Bella was only gone for a moment and Edward helped her get back up on the bed when she returned, to his surprise, only wearing her panties.

"I'm sorry I've been so awful to you." She whispered, snuggling closer to him under the covers. "I do trust you. I never thought I could love someone so much."

"Well I'm sorry about everything that happened in L.A. and that I didn't try to talk to you about it." He ran his hands over her soft skin, "I will never make you cry again." Edward promised her.

But Bella tensed, "You mean, about tonight?" She asked.

"Yeah, I mean you cried yourself to sleep – alone – in your room – because I'm an asshole." Edward muttered, ashamed of himself.

"You didn't make me cry." She sat up suddenly, trying to see him better with the aide of the firelight. "I mean it was because of you, but not – I found your letter." She blurted out.

Edward panicked, trying to remember what he'd written and where he'd left it that she'd gotten to it. He'd thrown it away in the library, so she must have seen it there.

"I don't know what to say." Edward said honestly.

Bella smiled and leaned down to place a tender kiss on his lips, "You don't have to say anything." She laid back down and curled into his side, "Every doubt, every fear, every question I had was put to rest tonight." She ran her hand over his bare chest.

Edward couldn't help but grin; she sounded so happy and knowing that he made her feel that was what he needed – it was more than enough.

* * *

They slept in the next morning because of their late night activities. The power was still out, but since they had gotten so much snow, they were trapped for the time being.

Since Bella was admittedly sore the next morning, she let Edward move the food from the fridge to the porch with only a short argument. Thankfully the water was still working so they were able to use the bathroom.

After lunch, which consisted of sandwiches, since Bella couldn't use the stove, oven or microwave, she convinced Edward to play with her and Jake outside.

They built a snowman, got into a snowball fight and even went sledding down the hill in the backyard, which spilled them out on the frozen lake.

Edward had to drag both Bella and Jake inside for dinner. But Bella, being the clever girl that she was, boiled water over the fireplace and made hot chocolate for herself and Edward before they roasted hotdogs and marshmallows over the fire – giggling like teenagers the whole time.

It was more than obvious to both Bella and Edward that their dynamic had changed – for the better. Not only was their recent spat over with, but it was as if their union had lifted a weight off both of their shoulders. There were no more walls up, there was nothing to hide – finally both of them could be exactly who they were with each other and it was exactly what their relationship needed.

After dinner, sticky with marshmallows on their fingers they took a shower together. Bella almost got Edward to agree to try having sex with her in the large stall, but he used every ounce of his will power to decline.

Instead he took his time washing every inch of her skin, made her come twice and then finished by washing her hair.

In a big puffy towel, he carried her back out to the sleigh bed and tucked her under the covers before adding another log to the fire.

"Bella…" he licked the shell of her ear.

"Hmmmm…" She hummed in content.

"Move in with me." He said softly.

"I already live with you." She giggled.

"No, up here." He looked down at her and met her eyes, "This should be _our_ room."

Bella hesitated for a split second before she grinned widely, "Okay."

Happily caught up in the moment, Edward made love to her again and that time he was on top.


	16. Chapter 16: December 19

**December 19**

**

* * *

**

_Bella, my darling,_

_I'm writing this letter for the sole purpose of hiding it to see how long it takes you to find it since I have a strong suspicion you've been snooping through my things. But you should know I don't mind and besides this letter, I have absolutely nothing to hide. When it comes to you, my dear, I am an open book._

_I did kind of want to tell you how excited I am to move in with you though. I've never lived with a girl besides Alice and you are decidedly lower maintenance than she is. Plus I wouldn't mind at all if you started walking around the house or at the very least our bedroom in your underwear._

_I don't say it enough, but between your confidence, wit and gorgeous body, you are seriously the sexiest woman I've ever come across. How I managed to trick you into this relationship is beyond me, because clearly you can do a heck of a lot better than me. But I probably shouldn't be telling you this. I don't want you getting wise to the fact, because then you would never let me forget it._

_But back to __**our**__ bedroom. It feels so nice to think of it like that. Is it pathetic that I'm looking forward to sharing a space with you? And the fact that I get to wake up next to you every morning in that big bed makes me happier than you could ever know. I love that no matter how big a bed is, you always end up cuddled up right next to me. God I love you._

_I expect you to tell me when you find this letter and if you want to know anything, just ask me._

_I love you, _

_Edward_

_

* * *

_

Bella walked up behind Edward in the kitchen, wrapping her arms around him and kissing the center of his back. "Hi," she simpered.

Edward smiled, placing his hands over hers and looked down when he realized she was holding something… a piece of paper – his letter.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" He sniggered.

"I love you?" She chirped.

Edward shook his head and shrugged out of her arms so he could finish putting the dishes away.

"In my defense, I was _not_ snooping." She bit her bottom lip.

"Oh, I bet you weren't," he teased. "So what, pray tell, were you doing under the bed in _that_ particular shoe box?"

Bella blanched and mumbled something under her breath. Edward turned around, picked Bella up and set her on the counter, settling between her legs. "I didn't hear you, darling." He laughed.

"I was looking for your porn." She grumbled.

Edward raised an eyebrow at her, "You just assume I'd have some?"

"You're a guy." She said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, well you're a woman and _if_ I had any, I'd do a heck of a lot better job of hiding it." He placed his hands on her hips and squeezed them, leaning forward he whispered, "I don't need porn when I have you."

Bella wrapped her legs around Edward, forcing him closer. She wound her hand in his hair and tugged it lightly, "Wanna teach me a lesson?" She said seductively.

"Why Isabella Swan," he sucked on the sensitive skin behind her ear, "You are insatiable." And indeed she had been ever since they'd consummated their relationship almost three weeks previously.

"I just need you." She moaned, her hands finding purchase in the button of his pants, "I know you want me too." She purred.

"Sure, but on the counter?" He was surprised she'd want to defile her immaculate kitchen.

"We could do it on the piano." She suggested, moving to his fly, "Or the dining room table."

"Jesus Bells," he groaned when he hand came in contact with his skin.

However, the phone rang, interrupting them.

"Don't answer it." Edward said gruffly, pulling Bella closer, "Nothing good ever comes from answering that phone when we're indisposed."

"What if it's an emergency?" She reasoned, already having taken her hands out of his boxers and unclasping her ankles from around him.

"Dammit." He swore, letting her scoot off the table.

"Language." She tsked as she picked up the phone, "Hello?" She said demurely and paused, waiting for a response, "Oh… really?" her brow furrowed. "Yeah, that'd be great, thanks – bye Rose." She hung up the phone.

Edward cocked his head expectantly. "Rose said UPS dropped off a bunch of packages at the station, addressed to me. Emmett's on his way over with them now since there are so many. They wouldn't fit in anything but the truck – not that I'd drive it in the snow." She put her hands on her hips, "I wonder what it is." Suddenly she stuck her finger out at Edward, "You better not have bought me anything!" She accused him.

Edward put his hands up defensively, "I'm not an idiot." He told her.

But they didn't have to wait too long to find out what it was. Edward helped Emmett carry all the boxes into the house and when they were finished, Emmett handed him a UPS letter.

Bella stole it, ripping it open. There was a single piece of paper inside. On it was an elegant scrawl that read, _'__They looked better on you anyway__.'_

"She didn't." Bella fumed, "Open a box." She commanded Edward.

Obeying her command, he tore the tape off one box, revealing a pile of bras and panties with pink Victoria Secret tags still attached, "You're gonna wear these for me, right?" He held up a pink and white polka dot bra with one finger.

Bella snatched the bra away, very aware of the fact that Emmett was still standing in the foyer. "Not anymore." She growled before stomping up the stairs to their bedroom.

"Is she okay?" Emmett asked.

"She'll be fine," Edward rolled his eyes, "You hungry? We just finished dinner."

"What'd she make?" He asked, following Edward into the kitchen.

"Soup and a lot of it." He opened the fridge and pulled the soup pot out, "Actually, why don't you just take it home – it's early, I'm sure Rose hasn't even started dinner." Edward offered.

"Really?" Emmett was surprised, but clearly wanted to take Edward up on his offer.

"Sure – you went out of your way to bring all those boxes over." He handed Emmett the pot, "It's the least I can do."

"Well, thanks." Emmett and Edward returned to the foyer.

"No prob – drive safe." Edward smiled and made sure Emmett made it to the car without slipping before he headed up the two flights of stairs.

Bella was laying under the covers, sniffling into a pillow.

"Sweetheart—"

"I don't want them!" She wailed. "What's wrong with me?"

Edward crawled next to her on the bed and began brushing her hair away from her face. "Honey – you gotta get over this because Alice just doesn't get it. She loves you and this is how she shows her affection."

"What am I supposed to do with all those clothes?" She peered up at him, the rest of her face still hidden under the covers.

"Wear them, silly." He laughed and kissed her forehead, "Now, if you don't help me put them away, I'm gonna put them in the wrong place on purpose." He teased.

"No, don't…" She complained, half-heartedly.

"C'mon," Edward tugged her out of bed and they spent the next few hours lugging boxes up the stairs and unpacking them in the positively enormous walk-in closet that had more than enough room for all of the beautiful clothes Edward couldn't wait to see Bella wear – and then take them off her.

When they were finished with everything, Edward tried to convince Bella to try on some of the lingerie for him, but she refused, saying she was too tired and that she wanted to take a bath to relax.

Although she told him not to disturb her, she didn't protest when he entered the bathroom and slid in the tub behind her.

He tried to ignore his erection pressed into her back as he massaged her sore limbs and nuzzled her neck, softly apologizing for Alice's actions.

"I thought you were too tired," Edward chuckled when she began to turn around so she could straddle him.

"Don't be snotty." She pouted and then began looking around the room, searching for something.

"Honey, we don't need condoms anymore if you don't want to. You've been on the pill since L.A." He stroked her hair gently and kissed the hollow of her neck. He was thankful she'd agreed to go to the doctor with his sister just before they left for Delta.

Bella relaxed at Edward's words. She held onto his shoulders as he guided her on top of him. If Edward thought she felt amazing before – the way it felt inside her with no barrier between their warm flesh was indescribable.

He met her thrusts and ran his hands along her bare back while she buried her face in the crook of his neck, panting after they had both climaxed.

"I love you." He threaded his fingers through her damp hair.

"So much…" She sighed, holding him close.

After taking a moment to recover, Edward helped Bella out of the lukewarm water and cleaned up in the bathroom while she got ready for bed.

It felt like they had only been asleep for a minute when the security alarm went off so loudly that Bella shrieked. Edward instructed her to stay in their bedroom and lock the door after he left. She protested for a second, but cowered in their bed when someone began banging at the front door.

"Please be careful," She begged him.

"I'll be right back," he gave her a quick and reassuring hug before descending the stairs, grabbing an umbrella from the foyer as it was the best weapon he could find on the way.

Edward looked through the front window; the flood lights lit up the front porch as Edward searched through the tree line for their intruder. He nearly fell off the couch when a familiar pair of green eyes met his.

"What the fuck?" He grumbled, disabling the alarm before opening the front door, "What the hell are you doing here!?" He growled at his sister.

"Merry Christmas to you too, jerk." She brushed past him into the foyer, taking her designer gloves off, finger by finger.

Jasper suddenly appeared at the bottom of the porch stairs, lugging two huge rolling suitcases through the snow – no doubt, both full of Alice's clothes.

"Lemme help you," Edward stepped outside, wincing at the cold snow beneath his bare feet.

"I'm so sorry dude – we didn't know you had a security system – our flight was delayed – then we got lost – we were supposed to get here this afternoon to surprise you and Bella." He panted.

"Well, you definitely surprised me – Bella's upstairs, scared out of her mind." Edward could only laugh at the situation. "You guys must be exhausted, it's like—" Edward looked at the mantle clock in the sitting room, "Shit; it's past two." He ran his hand through his hair. "Let me show you to a room."

"I'm starving; do you have anything to eat?" Alice pouted, leaning against the railing to the stairs.

"Sure…" Edward tried to think; he'd given Emmett the leftover soup but he knew there were a few pieces of lasagna leftover from dinner the night before.

"Edward…?" Bella's frightened voice drifted down from their bedroom.

"Bells, it's okay – it's Alice and Jasper." He yelled up to her, hating that she was so scared.

A moment later, she bounded down the stairs, having thrown a pair of Edward's boxers on over her panties and her sex hair had been tamed into a pony tail.

"They got lost trying to surprise us for Christmas," he told Bella, giving her a look that said he knew she wouldn't be happy but they'd discuss it later.

"How awful," Bella said sympathetically, "Well, you're here now and we're so happy to have you visit." She smiled at Alice and Jasper as she moved to Edward's side.

"Sweetheart, can you heat up some of the lasagna for them while I help Jasper take Alice's luggage upstairs to the guest room?" Edward squeezed her shoulder.

"Of course; c'mon Alice, I want to hear all about your engagement." Bella linked her arm through Alice's and led her into the kitchen.

"Thanks man." Jasper breathed a sigh of relief, "You know how rough she is around the holidays and she just decided this morning that she had to be with you for Christmas and wanted to surprise you." They both began rolling the suitcases up the stairs.

"You don't have to say another word." Edward completely understood and felt guilty that he hadn't really considered it since he'd been too wrapped up in Bella.

Christmas was always a bit to-do with their family and after their parents had passed, Alice insisted on keeping up with all their traditions and there were certainly a lot of them.

Edward led Jasper to the smaller bedroom next to the one his parents previously occupied. For some reason he didn't want anyone disturbing it and since he and Bella had only moved out of their rooms a few weeks prior, it felt weird to have Alice and Jasper stay in either of those rooms.

"This house is insane, dude." Jasper said in awe, taking in the fully made up room.

Edward smiled with pride, "Bella works very hard and it shows. So – uhh, bathroom's down the hall to the left and Bella and I are upstairs in the master if you need anything."

"I just need to sleep for a day." Jasper yawned.

"I'll have Alice bring your food up here." Edward patted Jasper on the back, "It's nice to see you.

"Thanks," Jasper smiled, kicking his shoes off.

Edward trotted downstairs into the kitchen to find Bella and Alice giggling and when they saw him they both began laughing even harder at their inside joke. "I don't even want to know." He griped, pulling a water bottle out of the fridge, "Jasper's gonna crash if you wanna bring some food up to him." Edward suggested and Bella's eyes widened for s split second, momentarily shocked that Edward would encourage them to eat outside of the kitchen, knowing it was a pet peeve of hers.

"Good idea," Alice picked up both plates and Edward and Bella followed her up the stairs, showing her where the bathroom and bedroom were before finally being alone in their room again.

"Bella—" Edward began apologetically.

Bella put her hand up to stop him, "Sweetie, they're family." She climbed up into the big bed, "Of course I wish they'd called so I could have put out fresh sheets and gotten more food at the grocery store." She complained lightly, peeling back the comforter on Edward's side of the bed. "But I'll be fine." She shimmied out of the boxers she'd thrown on.

"Thanks," Edward breathed a sigh of relief and helped Bella adjust the pillows the way she liked. "I'm sorry they scared you." He kissed her temple.

"Can I be the big spoon?" She giggled.

"Sure," Edward laughed, though secretly he loved it when she asked, "You know Alice's gonna want to go shopping though, right?" He mumbled, already half asleep.

Bella groaned, "Lovely…" she sighed.

* * *

Edward awoke the next morning groggy and alone.

After going to the bathroom, he made his way to the kitchen and was surprised when he heard both Bella and Alice. But the sight of Bella brought him to an abrupt halt in the entrance way. She was wearing very tight black jeans and a red sweater that was so low cut and so clingy that it left nothing to Edward's imagination. And he was pissed that Alice was right there, because there wasn't a thing he could do about it – especially not pick up where he'd left off with Bella on the counter the day before… no he couldn't do that.

"Hi honey," Bella chirped when she saw Edward standing in the kitchen, dumbfounded. "Alice, can you go let Jake in?" She smiled at Edward's sister, who ran to the door excitedly. Bella crooked her finger at Edward, beckoning him toward her.

He went to her immediately, coiling his arms around her waist and breathing her in, "You are so fucking hot." He whispered, trailing his nose up and down the column of her neck, "Still wanna do it on the counter?" He pressed his obvious arousal against her stomach.

Bella huffed and shoved him away.

He looked down at her to see why she was upset.

"First, I'm instituting a new policy on swearing. Every time you swear, I get my way in a future argument – a _veto_, if you will – with no questions asked." She growled, "Second, please explain to your sister that I am not a Barbie doll." She put her hands on her hips, "My eyes are up here – pervert." She scowled when she caught him staring down her sweater.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" He played dumb, but couldn't hold back his laughter the moment Bella's eyes narrowed and nostrils flared in anger, "Kidding, kidding," He grabbed her face and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "I'll talk to her." He brushed her bangs away from her forehead, "Are you okay?" he asked, sensing there was more to the story.

"I'm surprised you didn't hear her bang on the door this morning and beg me to let her pick out my clothes." She fumed, pulling something that smelled delicious out of the oven, "I can't go grocery shopping in heels." She motioned to the floor.

Edward looked down and sure enough, she was in a shiny pair of brand new fuck-me pumps. "They make your ass look great." He smiled sheepishly.

"That's two vetoes." Bella held up two fingers.

"C'mon, ass isn't a swear word." Edward argued.

"Wanna make it three?" She raised an eyebrow.

Edward wasn't allowed to answer because Alice and Jake made a complete ruckus when they both came barreling through the back door.

"Please don't get snow on the floor!" Bella cried.

Alice grabbed Jake's collar just in time, "Sorry," She giggled and picked up the towel just inside the door, "Is Jakey-wakey all wet from dah snow?" She said in a baby voice to the dog, "Let's clean you up so Momma Bella doesn't get angwey."

Edward chuckled; he'd never seen Alice with an animal she didn't adore.

"I'm gonna hug you and squeeze you and love you forever!" She gripped Jake tightly but he didn't seem to mind; he was used to the same treatment from Rose's kids after all.

"Is Jasper okay with that?" Edward said sarcastically.

"Shut it Anthony." Alice stuck her tongue out at Edward and continued to hug Jake, "You wanna come home with Aunt Ally, don't you?"

Bella plated the cinnamon rolls she'd made and went to retrieve the orange juice for Edward when he stopped her, "I can get it," he whispered huskily, sliding up behind her, "Wanna meet me upstairs in ten?"

Bella rolled her eyes, "You wish." She smirked, "You get to stare at me – in this outfit – all day and think about how nothing's gonna happen tonight if you don't convince her to let me dress myself." She hissed.

"You're so sexy when you're pissed." He egged her on, nipping at her ear and grinned when he heard her whimper softly.

"Score! Cinnamon rolls!" Jasper sauntered into the kitchen, disrupting Edward and Bella's sparring match.

Bella slipped out to go grocery shopping – again – while everyone else ate the food she'd made for them. Edward offered to accompany her, but she declined, saying it'd be rude to leave their guests alone – he suspected she needed some time for herself.

"Can I see the cars!?" Alice clapped excitedly, just as Edward finished doing the dishes.

"Sure," he set the last plate in the dishwasher and closed it, "But no touching." He warned his sister.

"I promise!" She exclaimed, "Wanna come?" She beamed at Jasper.

"Naw – I'll check 'em out later. I'm gonna go back to bed; it's only eight in L.A." He sighed.

Edward and Alice threw on their coats and boots before traipsing out to the hanger. The moment the lights turned on, Alice was in awe and tears welled up in her eyes as she was overcome with memories of their parents.

Her hand hovered above each car as she made her way through the garage. And Edward knew when she caught sight of the Roadster because she gasped.

"They're perfect," she sniffled. "And the Corvette…" She trailed off, staring at the gorgeous convertible.

"I want to give it to her for Christmas." Edward blurted out suddenly.

Alice turned to look at him, "She won't accept it." She looked at the car again, admiring the chrome detailing.

"Would it be okay if I put the title in her name?" He asked quietly, legitimately concerned that Alice might object, but praying that she wouldn't since all the paperwork was filled out already. He only needed to call Emmett to have him file it.

But instead of protesting, she merely smiled at Edward and wiped an errant tear from her cheek, "Of course it's okay. She re-built it after all."

"You need to stop dressing her up though, Alice." He leaned against the Chevy truck, "You know she can't tell you 'no,' but I really think it makes her uncomfortable." He sighed.

"Sorry," Alice mumbled, "I just thought you'd be a fan of that sweater and I knew you'd never see it on her otherwise."

Edward chuckled, "Well, I appreciate the sentiment, but you were lucky she accepted the clothes in the first place."

Alice smiled, "I told you I was very persuasive."

"No arguments here." Edward held up his hands.

"Anthony?" She asked, suddenly serious again. He made eye contact, telling her she could continue, "I want to give you your Christmas present early – if that's okay?" She said nervously.

Edward was a bit taken aback by her demeanor, "Okay Alice." He smiled reassuringly.

"Hold out your hands and close your eyes and I will give you a big surprise." She chanted the words their mother would always say before giving them a gift.

Edward looked at her skeptically, but complied. Just as he closed his eyes, he felt something small and warm dropped into his hand.

"Open," Alice sang.

Edward looked down at the object in his palm then back up to his sister, "Ally…" he said cautiously, "I can't—"

"I have my own now." She smiled down at her left hand, "Plus, then she can't be mad at you for spending money on a ring when you ask her."

Edward swallowed the lump in his throat. Alice hadn't taken off their mother's engagement ring since the funeral. Since they had requested to be cremated, both Edward and Alice wore their respective parent's wedding band on their right ring finger. "You still have the band?" he asked.

She held up her right hand in confirmation, showing Edward the simple yet elegant white gold ring.

"It's too much…" he choked.

"I've never seen you so happy." Alice said quietly, "Consider it my blessing as well." She laughed, "Like I could ever disapprove of Bella."

"Thank you Ally." He grabbed his sister and pulled her into a tight embrace. She just always knew what he needed. "You're the best sister."

"I'm your _only_ sister." She joked.

Edward stepped back, staring at the perfect diamond in his hand, "Well, I wouldn't trade you for the world." He smiled at her.

"If you really want to thank me, you'd convince Bella to go shopping with me tomorrow." She rubbed her hands together like some sort of 60's TV villain – frankly he was surprised she didn't cackle.

"Aww – Alice…" He whined.

"Well, how will I know what to get for Rose's kids?" She reasoned.

"I'll convince her to go if you promise not to dress her up again." Edward offered.

Alice considered it for a moment before she exclaimed, "Deal!"

Edward made sandwiches for everyone for lunch since Bella hadn't returned from the store yet. Alice spent the afternoon playing with Jake who was thrilled with the attention, while Edward and Jasper chilled in the basement.

When Bella arrived with a car full of groceries, Edward tried to get on her good side by putting them all away so she could start dinner. However, she seemed unaffected by his tactics and couldn't speak freely with him in front of their guests.

So the moment he had her alone in their room he pulled her to him, kissing her fiercely to demonstrate his need, "Did you get more smutty books at the library – I bet that's why you were gone so long – I missed you so much – You were all I could think about." He rambled while he kissed her.

But quickly, she shoved him away, breathless from their interaction.

"Are you mad at me?" Edward backed her into the bed.

She looked around, realizing she was trapped.

"I'm not letting you get away that easily," He grinned wickedly, tugging her sweater over her head, despite her protests. "Talk to me." He whispered, bowing his head to suck on her now exposed collar bone.

"I don't – you're distracting me…" She moaned, clutching at his shirt. Obviously she wasn't so upset that she didn't want him to stop touching her.

Edward pulled back, but gripped her waist, lifting her onto the bed as he had become accustomed to. "I like that bra…" he licked his lips, staring at the red lace that was almost so shear, he could see her nipples through the fabric.

He crawled onto the bed after her, while she retreated further into the bed, "I'll chase you, if that's what you want…" his voice was low and predatory.

Bella sighed, seemingly frustrated, but stopped moving away from Edward. Though he stilled when she did, "Tell me…" he requested.

"Did you talk to Alice?" Bella asked hesitantly.

Edward's eyes darted to the closet where he had stashed the ring in a pair of slacks he rarely wore, then back to Bella.

"Yeah, she said she'll leave you alone." He told her before peeling his shirt over his head and chucking it at the laundry hamper across the room.

"Really?" Bella was skeptical that she was getting off the hook so easily, "What did you say to her?"

Edward closed the distance between them and gently shoved her back onto the bed, "I just said I thought she was making you uncomfortable," he threw his leg over Bella so he was straddling her. "And that I'd appreciate it if she let you pick out your own clothes." He said matter-of-factly while he undid the button and fly of her jeans. "She was reluctant," he admitted, dragging the jeans down her legs, "But eventually she agreed." He smiled down at her, examining the matching red panties, "Though I must say I do like all these matching sets." He said as he hooked his fingers into the sides of her underwear."

Bella sat up, stopping him, "How did you convince her?" She asked as she helped Edward take off his own jeans.

"Well, I – err – made a deal with her." He stumbled as Bella's finger grazed his erection.

"What kind of deal?" She purred, pulling his boxers down, freeing his dick from its constraints.

"It was nothing, just – Fuuuuuck…" he hissed as she enveloped his length with her mouth then released it again.

"That's three." She smirked.

"Aww, c'mon, you can't count it in the bedroom." He whined.

"We'll see," She stroked his shaft, "So tell me about this deal," She licked the tip, knowing exactly how to get him to spill more than the information he was withholding from her.

"You have to go shopping with her tomorrow…" he groaned as her hand gripped him tighter.

But the moment he told her what he'd promised Alice, she let him go with a huff and moved away from him on the bed.

"Dammit." He cursed.

"Four." She said angrily while he pulled his boxers back up and tried to move over her but she held her arms out, "You can sleep downstairs." She pouted.

"Aww, sweetheart," he pleaded, trying again to move over her.

"No, don't," She stuck her bottom lip out and looked up at Edward through her lashes.

And it was then he realized that they were playing a game. "There must be something I can do to apologize." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I don't know…" She trailed off, biting her lip.

Edward leaned in, that time she didn't try to stop him, "Want it gentle… or rough?" He whispered.

Bella's breath hitched and he knew her answer.

Before she could respond he sat back on his heels and practically tore her panties from her body, "Take your bra off." He commanded gruffly.

The moment she had unclasped her bra he grabbed her, pulling her up and turning her so her back was pressed against his chest as they were both kneeling. Immediately he began kneading one breast, rolling her nipple between his fingers and pinching it as it became hard.

Bella arched against him, shoving her ass into his still hard penis. Slowly he let his free hand travel down to her core and gave no warning before plunging two fingers into her wet center, "I don't like it when you tease me," he growled into her ear as he stroked her, "Especially not with your mouth, sweetheart." He bowed his head and gently bit the skin at the crook of her neck.

Bella cried out and continued to move her hips in rhythm with his hand, "I bet you were wet all day, thinking about what I was gonna do to you after watching you walk around in that fucking sweater and those goddamned pants." He swore on purpose, testing her to see if she'd call him out or if she was already too far gone to care.

"Edddwaaaarrrdd…." She moaned, placing her hands over his.

"Should I punish you?" He nipped at her ear, willing himself not to come undone.

"Whatever you want…" She breathed.

"Good girl," he smiled and released her suddenly, causing her to whimper. But his hands were back on her a moment later when he gripped her shoulder and gently pushed her forward, not wanting to hurt her.

Sensing what he wanted, Bella got down on her elbows and spread her legs apart, still on her knees, ass perched in the air.

"Should I spank you, honey?" He asked, knowing that he wanted to, but using the question to request her permission.

"Yes…" She panted.

Having never actually done it before, Edward was more than aroused, but certainly didn't want to cause her harm. When his hand connected with her skin, she moaned so deeply with pleasure he was quite taken aback. Deciding she could take more he smacked the other cheek with a bit more force, again she moaned louder.

Unable to hold himself back any longer he rid himself of his boxers. Grabbing her shoulder with one hand and hip with the other, he leaned over her and whispered, "You okay like this?"

Bella nodded quickly.

"How many times are you gonna come for me?" He said jokingly, teasing her entrance with the tip of his cock.

"Just fuck me already!" She cried.

Without another word, Edward plunged into her with one swift motion, earning a lustful cry from his lover. "That's one," He chuckled darkly as he began pumping her hard and fast.

It took her no time at all to work up to the brink of her climax and Edward moved his hand from her hip to massage her clip, shoving her right over the edge, babbling his name while she came around him.

And the feeling of her already tight walls closing in around his cock sent him spiraling down, right after Bella; he grunted as he released inside of her. Slowly their movement declined and Edward was gentle as he pulled out of her and rolled onto the bed, completely spent.

"You're not really mad at me, are you?" He panted, taking Bella's hand in his and massaging it tenderly.

"Do I really have to go shopping with Alice tomorrow?" She tried to catch her breath.

"Jasper and I are going too." He tried to lessen the blow.

"What does she want?" Bella slowly climbed off the bed to put on her pajamas.

"She wants to get Christmas presents for the kids." He frowned when he saw her wince as she walked to the bathroom, "Hey…" He called out to her and slid off the bed, "Are you okay?" He stooped down to grab his boxers from the floor.

"Uhh – yeah." She said in an attempt to appease Edward.

He stepped into his boxers and swiftly pulled them up before striding toward her, "Don't lie to me." He tugged her arm and pulled her to him, "Was I too rough?" He whispered in concern while he hugged her tightly.

"No," she snuggled into him, "I – I wanted you to do it – I needed it." She ran her hands over his bare back, "It feels so good to know how much you want me." She admitted.

"And you liked – being – spanked?" He had to know.

"Yes…" She blushed, but as the edges of her lips were curled, he knew she meant it. "But you're distracting me again…" Bella laughed softly, making no move to leave Edward's arms.

"Distracting you from what?" he twisted her silky hair through his fingers but let her go when she stepped back from him.

"I don't know if it's a good idea for you to buy them presents…" Bella sounded worried as she pulled out a pair of white panties from her dresser.

"Why?" Edward walked back over to the bed, "What are you getting them?" He asked without thinking.

Bella was silent and he was quick to realize his mistake. How could she buy them anything since she had no money of her own and refused to use the money his parents left her for anything but groceries and other household necessitates.

"I could—" Edward began.

"Absolutely not!" She said adamantly.

"But Bells—"

"No." She shook her head, jaw clenched.

"Well, what do you usually do?" He asked softly, trying not to upset her as he helped Bella into the bed, surprised but happy that she'd decided to forego her tank top for the night.

"I have them over for Christmas dinner." She said shortly.

Edward knew he'd made her feel inadequate, but he also knew Alice wouldn't budge on gifts for the kids.

"Baby, what do you want me to do?" He stroked her arm, trying to calm her.

Bella rolled her eyes, but lie down in the bed, "I don't know…" she sighed.

Edward took Bella into his arms and pulled the covers up around them, "Can we talk to Rose and see if it's okay if Santa's a little more generous this year?" He suggested, molding his body around Bella's.

"You'd better not get me anything…" Her voice was tired and resigned. She didn't want to put up a fight.

"I did, but it didn't cost me anything." He stroked her hair.

She glared up at him, "Edward… why did you do that? What am I supposed to get you?" Her voice cracked.

"Honey, you don't need to give me anything." He quickly amended his statement, "Actually – on second thought, you could give me a little fashion show of all the naughty things I know you have hiding in your underwear drawer." He ghosted his hand over her bare breast.

"Pervert…" she muttered.

"Tease," he gave it a light squeeze and was rewarded with a soft moan.

"If you wanna go for round two, I'll convince Alice not to spend too much money tomorrow." He tried to bargain.

"Only if you don't let her get me anything." Bella had already begun to shift so she could get on top of him.

"Be reasonable," he helped her take her panties off and set them on the bed so she could get them after they were finished, "I can give her a spending limit." He offered.

Bella pulled his boxers down, sitting just below his lap, "She has to get me something practical." She began to stroke him, quickly making him harder.

"I can do that…" he groaned and held her hand as she used the other to guide his cock inside her.

"I love you…" she moaned, slowly rocking against him – a stark difference to the feverish pace they had set before.

"I always love you Bella." He sighed, looking her straight in the eyes the entire time they made love.

* * *

Edward and Bella were startled out of a peaceful slumber by none other than Alice banging on the door for the second morning in a row.

"Fuck…" Edward groaned.

"Five…" Bella mumbled, snuggled up against Edward.

"You've got thirty minutes!" Alice hollered.

Edward rolled his eyes, "Ignore her." He told Bella and held her closer.

"Don't ignore me!" Alice shouted, "Why is this door locked!?" She jiggled the handle roughly.

"To keep monsters like you out." Edward yelled.

"Edward Anthony Cullen! I demand you open this door immediately!"

"Trust me, she won't go away…" Bella's words were almost slurred in her sleepy haze.

"Shit…"

"Six…"

"Not fair," he pouted.

"Answer the door…" She yawned and rolled over.

Edward blinked trying to wake himself up, finally he focused on the alarm clock. "Aww, c'mon…" he whined and slid off the bed, almost tripping twice on the way to the door, "It's four thirty in the god damned morning!" He cursed.

"Seven…" Bella scolded.

"Will you shut it!" He hissed at her.

"We need to beat traffic, you've got—" Alice paused – no doubt looking at her watch, "Twenty seven—" Alice startled when Edward opened the door, "Twenty seven minutes." She looked up at him, daring Edward to contradict her.

"Where are we going?" He sighed.

"Don't worry about that – Jasper's driving. I just need you downstairs, ready to go in twenty six minutes." She said sharply, "And make sure Bella wears comfortable shoes. The black Puma's I sent will do."

"Alice…" he said warily.

"It'll be fine; you can sleep in the car." She told him, refusing to take 'no' for an answer.

"Fine, but I have some rules…" he glanced back at Bella who seemed to have fallen back to sleep. Regardless he shoved Alice back into the hall, shutting the door behind them, "You are only allowed to get one present each for the kids, and we have to say it's from Santa. There's no need to show up Rose and Emmett." Alice rolled her eyes, but agreed, "And you can only get one, inexpensive _and_ practical gift for Bella."

Alice opened her mouth to protest, but Edward would have none of it, "Ally, I'm not gonna fight with you. She doesn't like it when people give her things and the clothes upset her enough." Alice closed her moth and truth be told, looked guilty. "I know that wasn't your intention, but she doesn't have the means to buy presents for anyone and she has too much pride to accept money from me, so please – I'm begging you – just get her something for the kitchen or cars or something for the house. Believe me, that's what would make her happy, if you insist on buying something for her at all." He said firmly.

"I'm sorry." Alice said quietly.

"It's okay, she just – she has her reasons, okay?" He gripped his sister's shoulder, "I know you mean well."

"Okay, but you've only got twenty two minutes now." She pointed out.

"My thirty starts now." He told her, "We have to shower."

"Fine, but no shenanigans." She poked her finger in the center of his bare chest.

"Okay." He huffed and returned to the bedroom, "Sweetie," Edward cooed as he approached the bed, "We gotta get ready," He tugged at Bella's hands, trying to drag her.

"Noooooo…" She moaned, "If you come back to bed, I'll suck you off." She resisted him.

"Fuck Bells," He groaned, her last comment going strait to his cock.

"Eight…" she pouted.

"Bella, get out of bed and stop counting." He growled and finally succeeded in pulling her off the bed and into his arms, carrying her to the bathroom once she wrapped her legs around him, "Let's get you clean."

"Because I'm dirty…" She said seductively.

"None of that." He set her down on the counter, "We've got twenty minutes or Alice'll have my ass."

"No, that's mine." Bella sulked.

Edward laughed, "Get over here." He beckoned her once the water was warm enough in the shower.

They made it down the stairs only a few minutes late because Bella managed to convince Edward to fuck her against the shower wall, explaining that they'd be quick. And it was, but they both needed the release considering the stressful day that followed their morning quickie.

Neither Edward or Bella realized when Alice wanted to go shopping, she intended for them to drive all the way to the Mall of American in the twin cities. And since it was only three days before Christmas, to say the mall was packed was a complete and utter understatement.

Alice dragged everyone from store to store and it was lucky that she and Jasper had rented an SUV, not just for the winter weather, but also for the space in the back. Of course Alice went overboard with the presents, but reasoned she was merely practicing for when Edward and Bella had kids of their own.

Bella flushed a brilliant red and buried her face in her hands upon hearing Alice's statement.

"You don't want kids?" Edward had questioned her, putting his arm around her in comfort.

"No, I do… don't you?" She peered up at him through her lashes.

"Yeah." He laughed and kissed the tip of her nose, causing her to giggle. It seemed she wasn't used to people speaking so openly about her future. She told Edward on the ride home that when she lived with her parents, she wasn't given forewarning or an option about anything; just like how Michael never proposed to her, they were just engaged. Edward had definite plans for his proposal to Bella; he was sure it would be an event she'd never forget.

Bella spent the few days leading up to Christmas in a bit of a funk, entertaining for a week straight was definitely starting to wear on her. Edward also had a feeling that she wasn't a big fan of holidays because it only reminded her of the family she'd left behind even though Bella assured Edward that holidays, while she was still in Seattle, were especially awful and that she was thankful she had a new, albeit non-traditional, family to spend Christmas with.

Bella was however, nearly unapproachable on Christmas Eve. The kitchen was littered with lists upon lists of things she needed to do to prep for Christmas dinner and get the house prepared for the McCarty's.

Alice and Jasper surprised both Edward and Bella when they left early on Christmas Eve and returned in the afternoon with a real Christmas tree and Alice had to make four trips out to the car to retrieve all the decorations she has purchased. Edward was upstairs writing in the study, trying to stay out of Bella's way, as she'd requested, when she entered the room.

"They got a Christmas tree." She said quietly as she padded across the hardwood floor.

Edward looked up from the desk, concerned because her face was blank – void of any emotions. He had wanted to get a tree, but Bella refused, saying it was too expensive and Emmett and Rose always got one, so they didn't need one. It wasn't important enough to Edward that he'd push the matter with Bella.

"I'm sorry, honey." He rolled the chair back and opened his arms to her as she approached him, "I didn't even think to tell them we decided not to get one." He wrapped his arms tightly around her when she crawled into his lap. "Talk to me." He whispered, running his hand gently through her hair.

"Christmas was the worst…" She sniffed, "I'd be paraded around to so many parties and receive all these pointless gifts from people I didn't even know. My own parents didn't even pick out the presents that were supposedly from them." She twisted the fabric of Edward's shirt between her fingers, "I didn't want any of it – I just wanted them to want me."

"They didn't deserve you." Edward told her, "But everything happens for a reason and if you hadn't persevered through all of that, I never would have met you and you wouldn't know Rose or my parents…" He tried to stay positive for her. "I'll tell them not to put it up if it'll upset you. Christmas is supposed to be fun, sweetheart." He kissed the top of her head, "I hate that you're so miserable."

"I'm not miserable." She sniffed, "It just makes me feel guilty. I hate that I miss my parents – I don't understand why I just can't let it go." She nuzzled his neck.

"Of course you can't let it go – you wouldn't be you if you didn't care about everyone. You shouldn't feel guilty for missing them Bella," he cupped her chin and tilted her face up so her eyes met his, "You know it's okay, right?" he asked her honestly.

"It is?" She swallowed, "But they were never there for me." She argued.

"Well, no – but every child has a bond with their parents – there's nothing wring with missing them, Bells." He brushed her bangs off her forehead and kissed her sweetly.

"I love you so much." She murmured.

"I know, honey." He held her close, "So, what do you want to do about the tree?" He needed to know how to make her feel better.

"Nothing – it's about time I stop being so _miserable_ and enjoy our company." She squeezed his hand.

"Only if you're sure." He said seriously.

"I am." She smiled.

"Okay," he kissed her again, long and hard, while she grinded against him in his lap, "Can we…" he began.

"No, sorry…" She said regrettably, "I've got a ton more prep to do." She got off his lap, "I promise I'll make it up t you tonight." She bit her lip looking at the bulge in his pants, "Is that okay?" She asked apologetically.

"Yeah," he grumbled, "You sure you don't want any help downstairs?" He adjusted himself in his seat.

"I don't really need anything, but you can keep me company if you want." She smiled and held her hands out to him to help him out of his chair, "I feel like I haven't seen you all day." She pouted.

"Well, that's because I've been hiding from you." He laughed and laced his fingers through hers as he followed her down the stairs.

"You don't need to hide anymore – I'll be nice." She smiled up at him.

"You're always nice." He wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her into his side, "My sweet girl." He whispered, kissing her temple.

After Bella's confession and Edward's subsequent admission that it was okay to miss her family, she was noticeably more relaxed and well tempered – she even let Edward help her in the kitchen.

That night they made love no less than three times and though both Edward and Bella were exhausted the next morning, they still managed to have enough energy to get each other off in the shower. Edward wasn't planning on trying anything, but when Bella sank to her knees and insisted on taking him in her mouth, he wasn't about to let her out of the bathroom without reciprocating her actions.

Emmett, Rose and the kids came over late in the afternoon and were delighted to meet Alice and Jasper. Rose and Alice hit it off immediately, of course, as they both were obsessed with celebrity gossip.

Hilariously enough, Vera took an instant shine to Jasper and went so far as to confide in Bella that they were going to get married.

After the amazing dinner that Bella made was completely eaten, they all moved into the sun porch, where Alice and Jasper had set up the tree. The kids went crazy when Alice told them Santa had dropped off a few extra presents at Aunt Bella's house the night before.

Vera screamed so loud when she unwrapped the deluxe Barbie dream house Alice had picked out, that all the adults were partially deaf for a few hours.

Chuck didn't believe the PowerWheel Jeep was his when Jasper rolled it out of the laundry room. Emmett went on forever about how he had one when he was a kid and everyone knew if he wasn't so big, he would have tried to drive it himself. Instead he showed Chuck how all the controls worked and followed him around while he drove circuits of the first floor.

Not to be forgotten, Alice found a large, plush, talking dinosaur for Dave that you could insert CDs into, including stories and educational programs as well as music. Rose was completely blown away and kept asking Dave if he was going to turn into her little genius. He didn't let go of the dinosaur for the remainder of the evening.

Once Vera had calmed down considerably from her Barbie high, she gave Edward and Bella the presents the McCarty's had collectively gotten for them. When they made it through the wrapping paper, Bella almost started crying as she held up the Packer cheerleader build-a-bear, next to Edward's matching football player.

Vera took a half hour to explain the process she'd gone through at the store to have them stuffed and how she'd personally put the heart in Bella's bear and that Chuck was responsible for Edward's bear, but she'd helped.

"You are so thoughtful Vera, thank you so much." Bella kissed the little girl's cheek.

"If you really mean it, can you ask Jasper if he'll marry me?" Vera batted her eyelashes.

Bella laughed, but promised to put in a good word for her.

After the McCarty's left, Alice asked Edward if it was a good time to give Bella her present and he figured it'd be alright. So he held his hands over Bella's eyes as he walked her into the front room and removed them a moment later so she could see the brand new vacuum with a big red bow tied across it. "Oh my god!" She exclaimed and ran over to examine it, "You didn't break the other one, did you?" She accused Edward.

"No." he scowled, "It's from Alice and Jasper."

"Oh," she said sheepishly, "Good."

"My present's outside." He grinned.

Bella's face fell, "But I told you…"

"It didn't cost me anything," he laughed.

Bella thanked Alice and Jasper for the present and Edward was glad they could compromise. They decided to turn in for the evening and Bella jogged up the stairs, returning with her coat and a small wrapped package. "I'm ready." She smiled at Edward, slipping her arm through his as he escorted her outside.

Edward led Bella through the front yard and punched the security code into the keypad beside the hanger door. He motioned for Bella to enter before him, but he took her hand when the door shut behind them and led her to the back of the hanger. He leaned against the Roadster and said, "Merry Christmas."

Bella's brow furrowed as she looked at Edward, then searched the hanger before returning to his amused gaze, "I thought you said my present was out here…" she was puzzled.

"It is – you're looking at it." He smirked, wondering if she'd catch on.

"Edward, I'm confused." She pouted.

"I'll give you a clue." He smiled as he handed her a folded piece of paper from his back pocket.

"It's just the title for the Roadster…" She looked at the paper, bewildered. And then she saw it – Edward wished he'd brought a camera with him so he could capture the look of shock on her face, "But – but that's my name…" She stuttered, hands trembling.

"I know." He beamed.

"Edward—" She breathed, her frantic eyes met his, "You can't _give_ me this car…" Her voice shook almost as much as her body.

"Why not?" he teased, shoving off the car and taking her face in his hands, "It was yours the moment my dad let you fix it – nobody loves this car like you do." He wiped away a tear that had fallen down her cheek, "Please…" He really hoped she wouldn't refuse to take it.

"It's too much…" She mumbled in shock.

"It's not enough…" He whispered lowly in her ear.

Suddenly her arms constricted around Edward and he heard a muffled 'thank you' as she buried her face in his chest.

"I love you, sweetheart." He smiled, kissing the top of her head; he was beyond pleased that she wasn't going to put up a fight.

After a moment, Bella pulled back, wiping more tears from her cheeks and handed Edward the small wrapped package, "I mean, it doesn't even compare, but I know you'll like it." She sniffed.

"I'm sure I will too." He twisted a lock of her hair between his fingers and kissed her cheek before gently removing the paper from her gift. However, Edward was completely unprepared for what he uncovered; "How…?" He gasped in shock.

"I told you everyone loved them; I just asked around town – I made a copy for Alice too, but I wanted to give it to you first." Bella watched with great interest as he reverently paged through the photo album she had compiled for him and his sister, knowing that they had probably never seen any of the photos of his parents.

"I don't even know what to say…" Edward's voice cracked.

"It's no car…" Bella scoffed.

Edward laughed, "Bells, you have no idea what this means to me…" he looked down at the album, "This is by far, the best gift I've ever gotten." Without warning he pulled Bella to him, kissing her so passionately she was surprised to hear a moan escape her own lips. "Oh, honey." He sighed.

"Merry Christmas." She ran her fingers over his jaw, "Can we go inside now?" She asked innocently. However her gaze turned lustful as she whispered, "If I remember correctly, I owe you a little fashion show – not that I expect you'll want to see more than one outfit." She giggled.

Edward gave her a sly grin, "My dear, you know me entirely too well."


	17. Chapter 17: December 31

**December 31**

**

* * *

**

_Bella,_

_I'm going to propose to you tonight._

_To be completely honest, I'm really freaking out. It's not that I think you'll say no (Holy God, you had better say yes, though) but it's a lot of pressure._

_I want this to be perfect because not only will it be something we'll remember forever, but it's a story we'll tell to Alice and Rose and our children – to everyone, for the rest of our lives, and let's face it, I'm doing this for you_ _– it **has** to be perfect. So you can see why this is such a big deal. You're the most important thing in my life and you deserve no less than unforgettable.  
_

_If you were close with your father I would have asked for his blessing, but instead I've gone to Rose, Emmett, Hank and the kids. In case you were wondering, they unanimously granted me their approval and Vera is expecting us to have kids right away so she'll have other children to hang out with besides her brothers. Imagine that, a little girl with your gorgeous, big brown eyes and my uncooperative head of hair. I bet she'd keep us on our toes, just like you keep me on mine. _

_It's stupid stuff like this that excites me for no reason in particular, but the thought of having you as my wife makes me feel completely overwhelmed. And I hope you don't think this is too soon to be asking. I know in the grand scheme of things we haven't known each other that long, but I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I want the rest of my life to start right now._

_Alice told me to get this all down on paper. She said it'd help me calm down to put it into words and that I should give it to you later because you'd appreciate the sentiment._

_I want to give you everything Bells, and I know you don't need any of it, but it only makes me love you that much more._

_As midnight approaches, so does my forever with you and it's a good thing too because I can't wait a second longer._

_With love, always, _

_Edward_

_

* * *

_

Edward had been a wreck all day. He'd called Alice and Rose at least three times each and still couldn't manage to sit still. Writing the letter to Bella, per Alice's suggestion had helped, but not much. Jasper tried to calm him down, saying he empathized with the way he was feeling, but his empathy didn't make Edward any less nervous.

"So are you gonna tell me what's going on?" Bella disrupted Edward's train of thought, as well as stopping his knee from bobbling up and down at the table, like it had been for the last twenty minutes.

"What are you talking about? I'm fine." He huffed.

Bella's eyebrows shot up, "_You_ are _not_ fine." She told him. "Did you take something?" She lowered her voice, even though Jake was the only other set of ears in the house.

"What!?" He practically shouted, "Of course not!" Edward was slightly offended.

"Well, something's wrong and I know you're lying to me." She accused him as she stood, taking his plate from in front of him and walking to the kitchen.

"Let me get it." He scrambled after her, "Please," he took the plates from her without her permission.

"Edward—" She squeaked as she rushed past her.

"I'll get it – go relax." He called, already running the water in the sink.

Bella's jaw clenched and her hands instinctively fell to her hips, "Edward Cullen, I demand to know why you're acting so weird this instant!" She commanded.

"I'm fine, honey." He smiled at her over his shoulder, "I think Jake needs to go out." He nodded his head at the back door.

"Ugh," She stomped over to the door and let the dog out. "You're freaking me out." She scowled.

"Sorry," he shrugged, but continued to wash the dishes thoroughly so Bella wouldn't sneak downstairs to re-wash them later.

Jake returned almost immediately because it was below zero outside, "C'mon Jake," Bella cooed, "Come play with Mommy." She trotted down to the basement; Jake followed right behind her.

The moment she was out of sight, Edward exhaled in relief. And when he was finished with the dishes he quietly made his way up to the study, praying that Bella would give him the space he needed.

He called Emmett to make sure that everything was set up and was happy to hear that he and Rose were going to try to keep the kids up until midnight so they could enjoy what he was planning for his grand gesture.

Before too long though, Bella got curious and eventually found him in the study.

"You'd tell me if something was wrong, right?" Her voice startled Edward, who had been staring out of the bay window at the frozen lake illuminated by a waning moon.

He spun around, hand on his chest, "Jesus, Bells," he gasped.

She ignored his shock as she approached him though; worry etched on her lovely face. "But you're okay, right?" She pleaded.

"Oh, honey." He sat down on the bench below the window and opened his arms to her. She wasted no time crawling into his lap. "You spoil everything, you know?" He nuzzled her hair, breathing in the sweet floral scent of her shampoo, "Look, I've got a surprise planned for you, okay." He leveled with her knowing she still wouldn't see the proposal coming, "It's kind of complicated and I want everything to be perfect… just like you." He kissed the tip of her nose.

"I'm sorry." Her voice wavered as she snuggled further into his embrace, "I'm sorry I ruined it."

"You didn't ruin it; I just can't keep anything from you," he chuckled, "But you have to promise you won't ask me how much it cost."

Bella pulled away from Edward and looked up at him, "Oh, no…" She pouted, "Is it that bad?"

"No, it just doesn't matter." He pecked her lips and grinned. The truth was that his little display was costing him plenty, but considering he hadn't spent anything on the ring, he didn't feel as bad. Though, at the end of the day, he would have spent every penny he had to give her the proposal she deserved.

"So, how can I un-spoil the surprise? Where do you want me?" She ran her hand up and down his arm.

Edward raised an eyebrow at her unintentional double entendre, "Well…" He said suggestively.

"Edward!" She shoved him playfully.

"Just go downstairs with Jake and I'll come get you when I'm ready." He told her.

"How long will I have to wait?" She asked, but when she sensed Edward though she was probing, she quickly added, "I just thought I could make something for dessert and I need to know what kind of time frame I have to work with."

Edward shook his head, more in love with her as each minute ticked by, "I need you back up here at 11:55 sharp." He confessed.

"Perfect." She chirped as she stood, "Just enough time to make pie."

"Really?" Edward was immediately interested, "What kind?"

"It's a surprise." She said mockingly and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh Isabella, the things I'm gonna do to that smart mouth of yours." He said with a wicked smile.

Bella licked her lips in anticipation but didn't give him anymore fuel for the fire burning in his darkened green eyes as she turned on her heel and sauntered out of the room… exaggerating the sway of her hips, tempting Edward to chase after her.

And so Edward patiently waited, practicing the speech he wanted to make, over and over again in his head as his fingers idly toyed with the tiny diamond ring in his pocket. He worried it wouldn't fit, but one night when Bella was sleeping soundly next to him, he slipped it on her left ring finger, marveling not only at the perfect fit, but how right it felt to see it sitting there.

Ten minutes early at 11:45, Bella stepped into the study with two pieces of cherry pie. "I know I'm early, but I didn't know what your plans were, so I thought you might want dessert before midnight." She smiled, setting Edward's plate down beside him on the bench and proceeded to straddle him, "Want me to feed you?" She offered, biting her bottom lip as she ground against him.

"I want a rain check for this." He stilled her hips and leaned forward to kiss her as her bottom lip had been pushed out in a pout when he declined.

She smiled then and handed him his plate, but remained in his lap.

"You outdid yourself with this pie." Edward said after a few minutes, his nerves were clearly apparent in his voice.

"Edward…" Bella simpered, setting down her half-eaten pie, "I'm sure whatever your surprise is, I'll love it." She ran her hands through his hair.

"I know – like I said, I just want it to be perfect." He sighed.

"Who cares?" She laughed, "I'm here; you're here; it's almost midnight on New Year's Eve!" She took his plate from him, "You'd better kiss me at midnight." She threatened.

Edward laughed, some of the tension leaving his body, "Well, I suppose…" He teased. "Only if you put out later." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Pervert!" She jokingly guffawed and shoved him. "What kind of girl do you think I am?"

Edward grabbed her, pulling her close and whispered, "I think you're a tease." He squeezed her ass, bringing her closer so she was undoubtedly aware of how serious he was.

Bella moaned into his neck and if they hadn't been interrupted by a loud bang outside, Edward would have lost his nerve and taken her on the bench, forgetting all about his plans.

"What the heck?" Bella pulled away from Edward and climbed out of his lap. Then another bang sounded, "Oh my god! You got me fireworks!?" She exclaimed. She tore her eyes away from the display for a split second to look down at her watch and when she saw it was midnight she kissed Edward sweetly on the lips and said, "Happy New Year, baby." But a moment later her eyes were back at the window watching the fireworks split in the sky and the ashes trickled down to the snow covered earth.

Taking advantage of the distraction, he moved to the floor and got down on one knee; waiting for her to notice he'd moved.

"Oh Edward, they're so—" She froze when she saw him kneeling beside her. A gasp escaped her lips.

"Bella…" He smiled and took her left hand in his, the other flew to her mouth, still in shock. "I can't—" he struggled to remember the speech he'd been going over for hours, but it was gone. 'Oh, well,' he thought.

So he winged it.

"I never though I was even capable of loving someone as much – as deeply – as completely and unconditionally as I love you."

Fat tears began to roll down her cheeks as she nodded and even Edward had to hold back a few himself.

"There's no future I can even begin to imagine without you in it." He swallowed hard and looked down as he removed the ring from his pocket and held it up to her, "Please, say yes." He choked, "Marry me?" He finally got the words out.

Bella stared at him, then the ring, then him.

And without warning she launched herself from the bench, knocking him flat on his back as her lips met his in a heated and passionate kiss. She tugged at his hair and grabbed at his body, needing him closer still.

Edward was all too happy to return the gesture, but in the back of his mind, he realized she hadn't spoken a word. "Bells…" He groaned, trying to gently slow her feverish pace.

"Oh, Edward…" She hummed in response.

"So—" She cut him off, kissing him roughly again. He laughed and pulled back, "Do you want the ring?" He asked hesitantly, feeling the warmed metal against his clenched right palm.

Bella sat up suddenly, "I'm so sorry." She cried, "Yes! Yes of course! I love you so much!" She grabbed his face between her hands and peppered it with kisses while he laughed.

Eventually he was able to momentarily stop her so he could slide his mother's ring on her left hand. She held it out in front of her, admiring the diamond sparkling in the light. Edward saw the light bulb go on in her mind when she realized why it looked so familiar.

"It's—" She paused, staring at Edward.

"Alice gave it to me before I even had a chance to ask," Edward took her hand, running his thumb over the simple round stone, "Happy New Year, sweetheart," he gave her a watery smile.

Bella threw her arms around Edward's neck and whispered, "I can't wait to marry you."

Edward was elated, he'd never felt more relieved in his life – not even when he'd left Hollywood behind.

Edward helped Bella up from the floor and whispered, "Let me show you how much I love you."

Bella buried her face in his side and slowly followed him across the hall to their bedroom. He kissed her slowly, caressing her reverently as he removed each article of clothing, piece by piece – worshiping her body the way she deserved.

When she was wearing nothing at all, he lifted her onto the bed and quickly discarded his own clothing while she scooted to the middle of the bed – waiting for him.

He crawled on top of Bella, careful to keep his weight off her as he kissed her deeply – passionately, fondling her breasts at the same time. Bella let her fingers glide over the smooth planes of his arms, torso and back. However, it was Bella who was the first to crack. She slipped her hand down Edward's stomach and began to stroke his erection.

"Should we see how much _you_ love _me_?" Edward teased as he nipped at the skin along the column of her neck.

She moaned in response and Edward took that as his cue. He pulled back from her, sitting on his heels as he gently moved Bella's legs apart, bending them at the knee. He leaned down and failed to suppress a huge grin when Bella cried out in ecstasy as the flat of his tongue made a slow pass from her dripping slit to her swollen clit.

Edward licked his lips, loving the way she tasted. He loomed over her, brushing some stray strands off her face as he breathed, "It seems you love me an awful lot Isabella."

She giggled, smiling up at him. Her eyes were glowing with affection and need, "Please…" She begged.

Slowly Edward filled her, watching with delight as she threw her head back and her entire body arched; she was completely overwhelmed with the sensation.

"Will it always – mmmmm…" She moaned when Edward withdrew, then slid into her again, "Will it always be like this?" She brought a trembling hand up to caress his cheek.

"I promise." He leaned down and kissed her tenderly, "My sweet girl…"

"My beautiful boy…" She mirrored the sentiment.

Edward set a slow, steady, sensual pace as the two rocked against each other, eventually culminating in a long quacking climax for both of them.

They laid together, naked, panting and sweaty for a long while before Bella was able to tear herself from his side to clean up. She returned to the bed and Edward was pleasantly surprised to find that she slept next to him, all night, still completely bare.

It was silly – stupid even, but he felt that the final barrier she'd put up, afraid to let others in, had finally been taken down. There wasn't anything that could come between them because they would stop it… together.

Visions of Edward's future with Bella filled his dreams.

He was going to marry her.

He was going to have children with her.

He was going to raise a family with her in the house where they fell in love.

He was going to grow old with her and give her the happily ever after she never thought she'd have.

The next few days Edward and Bella lounged around the house in a post-proposal haze.

They made no plans.

They set no date.

They just enjoyed each others company, caught up in their dreams of forever.

On New Year's Day, Bella called Rose and told her the good news. She promised Vera she could be the flower girl and thanked Emmett for helping to set up the fireworks display.

Then Edward took his turn to tell Alice and Jasper that he was engaged and how he had proposed.

Alice's screams of delight over finally having the sister she always wanted were so high pitched that Jake started barking.

Things were going extremely well for the newly engaged couple… that is, until Edward got a call from Alice, nearly a week after his proposal.

"Edward!" Bella called from the kitchen, "Can you get the phone? My hands are covered in marinade!"

Edward sprinted from his spot on the sofa in the parlor, where he had been banished, since he couldn't keep his hands to himself while Bella prepared dinner.

"Cullen residence." He leered at Bella from across the kitchen.

She let out a giggle and continued her work.

"Hey Anthony…" Alice's tentative voice came over the speaker. Immediately, he knew something was wrong.

"Spill it Ally." He commanded.

"What? I can't call to check up on my brother?" She hedged.

"I'll hang up if you don't tell me what's going on." Edward threatened.

Bella stopped what she was doing and made eye contact with Edward. He waved her off.

"Fine." Alice huffed, "It's the NAMI Gala."

"NAMI?" His brow furrowed.

"National Alliance for Mental Illness." Alice was annoyed. "Mom was on the board – you make donations every year in her honor."

"Oh." Edward scratched his head; it sounded familiar, but he'd left Jasper to keep track of his money, "What about it?"

"You agreed to go to the Charity Gala they throw every year and since your movie did so well, they're listing you as a headliner."

"What?" His jaw dropped.

"Jasper tried to get you out of it, but they're counting on you and they keep bringing up Mom – I just—"

"Alice." He cut her off, "When is it?"

"This Saturday…" She trailed off.

"As in, two days from now?" He said gruffly.

"We could charter you a jet." She suggested.

"What? Why…" And then it hit him, "It's in L.A." He cursed, feeling like an idiot.

"I'm sorry…" She said hesitantly.

Edward looked over at Bella, who was watching him carefully as she washed her hands, "Can I call you back?" he said through his teeth – a million different thoughts were racing through his head.

"Okay, but I need to know quickly so we can make arrangements either way." Alice replied anxiously.

"Bye Alice." He hung up the phone and stared at it for a minute before turning around to face Bella.

Bella's chocolate doe eyes bored into him, laced with worry. "Everyone's okay, right?" She asked.

Edward's jaw softened, of course she'd be worried about everyone else first. He nodded in response to her question.

She visibly relaxed as he walked around the kitchen island, coming up beside her, he wrapped his arm around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, "I have to go back to L.A. for the weekend." He whispered.

Bella pulled back suddenly, examining his expression intensely. "Why?" She asked quietly, knowing it was important if he was at all willing to go.

"There's a charity event – I guess I committed to going a while ago – that's probably why Jasper forgot about it." He said the last part to himself, "It was important to my parents – they'll raise more money if I go." His eyes pleaded with her not to be upset. "I swear I'll be gone two days max!" He said adamantly.

Bella frowned.

"I know – I'm sorry, but—"

"Honey—" She cut him off, "Could I—" She paused, looking at the meat on the counter and then back up at Edward, "I could go with you." She said softly. "If you wanted me to." She added quickly.

Edward's eyes lit up as if he'd never even considered the idea, "Really?" He asked in disbelief.

"I don't want to be alone – I don't mind going to L.A. if it's just for a few days." She gave him an encouraging smile.

Edward took her hand in his and squeezed it, "I'd really like that." He leaned in and trailed soft kisses from her cheek down to the crook of her neck where he gently nuzzled her as she ran her fingers through his thick hair, scratching at the scalp to soothe him.

"I love you," She murmured. "I don't want to be without you."

Edward pulled her into a tight embrace, "I love you too, sweetheart."

After a few minutes, she laughed as he refused to release her from his hold, "Can I finish making dinner, please?"

"Only if I can watch you." He gave her a condition.

"Fine, but you _and_ your hands must remain on the other side of the kitchen." She conceded.

"That's fine," he playfully squeezed her ass before letting her go and taking a seat across the counter, "I can still make lewd comments from over here." He grinned widely, placing his chin in his palms while his eyes followed her every move.

* * *

**AN:** Sorry that was so much shorter than last week. I posted a few pictures on my profile of Bella's dress from the premiere, the engagement ring, etc. Have a great week! :)


	18. Chapter 18: January 8

**January 8**

**

* * *

**

_Bells,_

_Is it me, or do you have a bad feeling about this trip?_

_If that stupid old lady hadn't shushed me, I'd just ask you about it. But I'm worried. I wish we didn't have to take this red eye – I'd rather talk to you about it._

_Maybe it's just the thought of going back to L.A. that's giving me anxiety, but I've had this feeling before my parents died. Like something's just not right. Does this feel wrong to you?_

_I am glad you offered to come with me; however, I just feel lost without you. But I couldn't bring myself to ask you – I didn't want you to feel pressured._

_I'm sorry; I'm being stupid_

_I love you, _

_Edward_

_

* * *

_

Bella rolled her eyes and slipped the note into her pocket, "Relax." She whispered, kissing Edward's cheek before snuggling into his chest.

"I just can't—"

"SHHHHHHH!" The old woman across the aisle hissed.

Bella tangled her fingers in his hair, bringing his mouth down to hers. Edward would have smirked at the old bag if he hadn't been so preoccupied with Bella's tongue in his mouth. Not only was making out with Bella silently sticking it to the rude woman, but feeling her soft skin against his mouth completely put him at ease.

With swollen lips and obvious arousals, Edward and Bella exited the plane. Having only brought carry-ons, they quickly made their way down to the pick-up area at LAX and had no problem finding Alice and Jasper as the airport was fairly deserted at such a late – or rather, early hour. Surprisingly their arrival was paparazzi free.

"What's up with you?" Alice narrowed her eyes at Edward, "Does the Mile High Club have two new members?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Bella mumbled, catching Edward completely off guard.

Alice chuckled while Jasper drove through the oddly clear surface streets toward their home in the hills.

"Thanks for picking us up so late." Edward thanked Alice and Jasper as they exited the car once it was safely parked in the garage.

"It's not like I'd make you catch a cab." Alice scoffed. "But I have been meaning to have a conversation with you about your wedding date." Alice plopped down on the couch in the living room.

"We haven't set a date." Edward rolled his eyes as he took a seat in an arm chair and held his arms out, signaling Bella to join him, which she did.

"Exactly." Alice crossed her arms, "Jasper and I are getting married in June and since he proposed first, you can't get married before I do." She said plainly.

"We'll get married whenever the hell we want." Edward threatened. Bella glared at him not only for his language choice, but also for his tone.

"Anthony," Alice said through her teeth.

"Alice." He mimicked her, "I'm older than you – I should get married first anyway." He challenged. Bella shook her head and removed herself from Edward's lap, much to his dismay.

"Are they always like this?" Bella asked Jasper as he watched from a distance in the kitchen.

"You have no idea." He laughed and Edward and Alice's argument got more heated and much louder.

"Tell him I went to bed." She smiled in chagrin and Jasper saluted her just before she left.

A moment later, realizing Bella was gone, Edward abruptly told Alice it was too late to fight and just about sprinted to his room. However, when he entered, he found Bella sitting on the bed, biting her lip nervously, her gaze was fixed on the far wall. Edward followed her eyeline and sucked in a ragged breath when he saw a tux hanging on the wall next to a midnight blue gown.

He tore out of the room, intent on berating Alice when he had specifically told her that Bella was only accompanying him to Los Angeles and would not be attending the function with him.

A small, warm hand grabbed his just before he made it out to the living room.

Edward spun around and looked down at Bella, "I'm so sorry, honey." He enveloped her in his arms. "I told her not to." He stroked her hair.

"Can we talk?" She pulled back from him. When he nodded in agreement she led him back to his room, but rather than stop at the sofa or the bed, she continued through the room and out to his balcony.

She took a deep breath of the chilly January air as she leaned forward against the railing, admiring the view of the city.

"I want to go with you." She said clearly.

Edward shut the door and rested his hand at the small of her back as she came to her side. "I don't think you understand what will happen if you do." Her tone had made him realize she wanted to go to the event _with_ him, as his fiancé.

"I'm so tired of being scared." She sighed, "Aren't you?" She turned to face him.

He didn't know what to say.

"So what if they find me?" She shook her head, "You were right. What can they do? I'm an adult. I'm not their property. They have no control over my actions." Her attitude was strong – firm.

"It'll create a media frenzy." He warned her, "If they find out where we live – it'll compromise our privacy. I'm not willing to take that risk." He voiced his concerns.

"I need to face my fears." She pleaded with him, bringing her hands up to cup his face in her palms, "And so do you."

He stared at her for a long time, trying to reconcile what she was saying and what it would mean for them.

"Edward, I want to start a life with you, but I can't do that until I put the past behind me." Her thumb gently stroked his jaw line, "We'd be living in Delta, constantly in fear of being discovered. What kind of life is that?" She inquired.

Edward continued to stare at her – searching her eyes for something. He knew she was right, he just couldn't bring himself to admit it. Exposing her to the public and her parents put her in danger. If anything happened to her as a result – it'd be his fault. Her safety was his responsibility.

"I guess I don't have a choice." Edward said vacantly.

"Baby, please don't be like that." Bella pleaded.

Edward's eyes met hers, full of hurt, "I didn't mean it like that." He placed his hands over hers and removed them from his face, "You're absolutely right – I just wish there was another way."

Bella tugged at his hands, leading him back into the bedroom, "We're gonna be just fine." She sat him down on the bed, lifting his shirt over his head and then did the same with hers.

Edward stood up so he could remove his pants and helped Bella step out of her skirt. "I'll make you forget." She ran her palms down his bare chest and gently shoved him back onto the bed before proceeding to climb on top of him.

Bella rested her weight on him as she kissed him tenderly, trying to tell him with her actions that she loved him and that they would be okay. They both needed closure.

After a few minutes, Bella pushed herself back and leaned on her heels, "Do you know what I brought with me?" She gave Edward a Cheshire smile.

"Tell me…" he breathed, running his hands along her smooth sides.

"My white bikini." She bit her lip in anticipation of his hopefully enthusiastic response. He raised an eyebrow at her, "I noticed you have a Jacuzzi outside the last time I was here." She removed one bra strap.

"You are so naughty." He laughed. When she removed the other strap, Edward sat up abruptly, "I want to do that." He stilled her hands.

Her eyes were hooded as she let her arms fall to her sides, allowing him to do as he pleased with her.

Edward encircled her in his arms, bringing her body flush against his, "I'm gonna fuck you so hard." He whispered menacingly as he unclasped her bra and tore it from her body.

Bella gasped at the sudden shock of cold air against her breasts and the thrill of Edward's threat. She shoved his shoulders roughly; he fell back against the bed, caught off guard.

"Not if I fuck you first," She growled, grinding against his erection.

Edward groaned at the contact, but couldn't suppress a smile at the thought of her aggressive streak. When he tried to help her shimmy out of her panties she slapped his hands away, "No touching – not yet." Her lips curled.

She finally succeeded in slipping out of her underwear and let her hands glide down her body, first stopping at her breasts, she fondled them, trying to put on a show for Edward. Then one hand continued down her belly, fingers finally reaching her own heated core.

"I don't know what to do, Edward." She bit her lip innocently, big doe eyes trained on Edward, who was having difficulty breathing, "Tell me what you want me to do." She half moaned.

"Oh god Bells…" Edward was using every trick in the book to avoid coming in his boxers. "Keep touching your breasts," She kneaded them harder, "Pinch your nipples." He said suddenly, having just thought of it. As Bella did so, the sensation caused a low, guttural groan to escape her lips.

Edward threw his head back, in physical pain because he was unable to touch her, "Are you wet for me, sweetheart?" He breathed, "Show me how much," He requested, fists clenched at his sides as he watched her fingers slide over her slick folds, whimpering when they came in contact with her swollen bundle of nerves. Slowly she removed her fingers, glistening with her arousal.

She let out a sharp yelp when Edward grabbed her around the waist and threw her on the bed, "I need you," he growled.

Bella giggled, "I thought you wanted to watch me." She secretly loved to drive him so crazy he had to take her.

"Maybe next time." He was doing his best to get out of his boxers without severing contact with her.

She laughed again, but was surprised when rather than plunging into her after he'd finally gotten rid of his boxers, he moved down the bed and threw her legs over his shoulders just before his mouth was on her… there.

"Edward!" She cried out the second his tongue penetrated her, "Oh god, oh god…" She chanted as it swirled around her clit. She took in a gulp of air when he sucked hard, "Edward, I'm gonna come…" She panted.

"Not yet," He mumbled, then bit down, enjoying her keening as he brought her to the brink. He pulled away right before she could climax and slammed his cock into her with one hard thrust.

He only pumped her a few times before her walls contracted around him as she came undone. With a few more strokes, Edward grunted as he released into her and let her body milk him dry.

Completely spent, sweaty and breathless, they collapsed on the bed.

Edward pulled Bella against him and they were fast asleep only moments later.

* * *

"I wanted to tell you how sincerely impressed I was with your manuscript." Angela took a sip of her mimosa after adjusting her glasses.

"You were expecting it to be shit." Edward smirked.

Angela blushed, "Well, I figured you had a high opinion of your own abilities at the very least," she laughed, "Most actors would want their books published under their own names." She mused.

"But you thought it was good?" He asked nervously.

"I'm not a lit. agent, but as someone who reads a lot – as a woman," she added, "I've never read something so personal and romantic." She took another sip of her drink, needing some of the liquid courage after her confession. "Sure, it needs work, but the story's there and that's what's important." She relayed.

After Edward had gotten Alice's frantic call about the charity event, he had Hank help him photocopy his almost-complete manuscript for Angela.

"Would it be alright if I have an assistant I trust, type it up?" Angela hedged.

Edward thought for a moment, "I guess that'd be alright – I know you'll make sure my name's kept off it and it won't get leaked." He had a slight edge to his voice.

"And commit career suicide like Jane?" Angela was completely offended, "I don't think so. My ass is on the line for this too, so I'm not gonna fuck it up." She said point blank.

"Thank you," Edward said quietly.

"Does your story, by chance, have an ending?" Angela asked, hopefully, "I'm asking more for myself than the publisher."

"Not yet." Edward smiled cryptically.

"I need to know what happens to Wesley and Madison." She pleaded.

"I have a feeling they'll get married, have babies and live happily ever after." Edward joked, hoping his story would continue to mirror reality.

Angela looked at her watch suddenly, "Shit – I gotta run!" She stood up abruptly and began digging through her purse.

"Please," he touched her arm, "Let me get it; I just appreciate that you could fit me in at the last minute." He gave her a genuine grin.

"You are such a gentleman." She put her hands on her hips, honestly taken aback by his chivalry, "Thank you for breakfast and now that I have your number, I'll be in touch about our little project." She shook his hand, instead of offering a hug, not wanting to give the patrons or staff a story to sell to the tabloids. "See you at the Gala!"

"Bye Angela," He waved her off and sat back down to finish his omlette, even though Bella's were far superior.

"Speak of the devil," he said under his breath upon seeing someone from his house line was calling and knowing it was her. "Morning, honey; I was just thinking about you." He signaled the waiter for the check.

"I'm mad at you." Bella's voice sounded more sleepy than angry.

"Uh, oh; what did I do this time?" He laughed.

"Where are you?" Bella asked.

"I had a last minute meeting with my agent. I didn't want to wake you up." He didn't want Bella to know about the book either – not until things were more finalized.

"I woke up and you were gone." She pouted.

"Well, I'm on my way back right now." He signed the receipt and stood to leave, "I'll be back in twenty minutes, sweetheart."

"That's nice, but I won't be there." She whined.

"Why not?" Edward tipped the valet and turned on his Bluetooth before leaving the parking lot.

"Your sister's kidnapping me." Bella grumbled.

"Lemme guess, mani-pedis, facials and a massage." He shook his head.

"You left out the waxing." He could practically picture Bella rolling her eyes.

"Really?" Edward raised and eyebrow, "Where?"

"Pervert." Bella scowled.

"Tease," Edward countered, "Do you need me to rescue you or were you just calling to complain?"

"I guess I'll be fine – but if it hurts half as much as I remember, you're not touching me tonight." She threatened.

"We'll see about that." Edward laughed.

"Ugh."

"I love you." Edward tried.

"I love you too." Bella sighed.

"Call me if you need me." He said seriously.

"Okay, bye." Bella ended the call.

When Edward got back to the house, he relaxed with Jasper for a while and after Jasper gave up asking what Edward's book was about, he told Edward about the fit that Bella had thrown when Alice dragged her out of the house.

"Dude, I would have slept in with her if I knew." Edward defended himself.

"You really won't tell me anything about the book?" Jasper tried again.

Edward shook his head.

"Will you at least tell me if the meeting went well?" Jasper settled.

"Angela really liked it; she thinks it's got a lot of potential even without my name attached to it." Edward was very pleased about the last part.

"Well, good. I can't wait to read it." Jasper smirked.

A few hours later, Edward heard the front door slam and watched the back of Bella storm past him into his room. He immediately loved the soft curls cascading down her back, as well as a small portion that had been pulled up on her head.

"Bells!" He called as he rose from the couch, but when he went to follow her, a hand that surely belonged to his sister yanked on the collar of his shirt, pulling him back. "Let me go!" He snarled.

"You are not allowed to lay a finger on her." Alice commanded; hands firmly planted on her hips, "I went through a lot to get her hair and make up a certain way and I won't have you ruining it."

"Al—"

"NO!" She exclaimed, cutting Edward off, "No excuses, and I need to get you in your tux anyway." Edward made a face at the thought of being in a monkey suit all evening, but the better mood Alice was in, the more of a chance he had of getting to Bella.

"Can I just go see if she's alright?" He cocked his head.

"Why wouldn't she be okay?" Alice scowled.

Edward glared at her.

"Fine, but I'm coming with you." She protested.

"Like hell – don't you trust me?" He started toward his bedroom.

"Yeah – as far as I can throw you." Alice quipped, hot on his heels.

Just outside his door he turned to face Alice, "You're not coming in and I'm not gonna mess up her hair or make up." He said finally and slipped inside.

He turned to find Bella, sitting on the edge of the bed. And though her hair and make up made her look flawless, there was sadness behind the powder and curls.

Edward didn't say anything – he simply walked over to her, got on his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head against her chest.

"I'm scared…" She murmured, playing with strands of his hair.

"You always have a choice…" he told her.

She kissed the top of his head, "I don't want to go, but I know I'll always regret that decision." She voiced her concerns.

"Do we need a code word or signal in case you need me to get you out of there?" He looked up at her imploringly.

She giggled and brushed some stray hair out of his eyes, "Let me think about it."

Bella leaned down to kiss him, but Edward pulled back, "I can't," he said apologetically, "I promised the style-nazi outside the door." Edward explained.

"I keep telling you, you're too nice to her." She smiled down at him caressing his face with her open palm. "I want to see you in your tuxedo, please."

"Your wish is my command." He rose from his knees and placed a tender kiss on the top of her hand before walking to the garment bag hanging from the closet door. "You should put your dress on too." He told her as he made his way to the bathroom.

When Edward has successfully gotten into his suit and tied his bowtie, he yelled through the closed door, "You decent?"

"That depends." Bella called back to him.

He opened the door and was in awe of the gorgeous, floor length midnight blue gown that Bella donned. Seeing it on the hanger did it no justice, not only because of Bella's simple, yet elegant beauty, but also because it was backless.

"Oh, sweetheart." He moaned, laying his palm flat against the bare small of her back, "You look beyond stunning." He kissed his favorite spot behind her ear and caressed the silk fabric at her side.

"It's a lot to get used to." She said nervously, studying herself in the mirror.

"I've never been more in love with you." He whispered, trying to calm her fears.

She turned in his arms and let him hold her for a moment before she took in his appearance, "You look so dashing." She grinned like an idiot and straightened his tie, "Promise you'll stay with me the whole time." She bit her lip nervously.

He pulled it from between her teeth, "Try and keep me away." He teased. Edward looked at his watch, "Ready?" He asked.

Bella took a deep breath and then nodded.

Alice gasped when the pair strolled into the living room, "Wow…" She stifled.

"The limo's here," Jasper smiled.

Both couples made their way outside. Edward and Jasper helped their respective partners into the car. Alice explained to Bella how the press would work. She told her to stay on Edward's arm the entire time and to let him do the talking. Once inside the Gala, Edward would have to give a speech following dinner, but before the charity auction.

Bella's stomach was in knots and Edward could feel the fear rippling off her as she began to squeeze his hand tighter, the closer they got to the venue.

Just before Edward helped Bella get out of the car he told her, "Say the word and we'll leave – no questions asked."

She made eye contact to confirm his convictions.

He kissed her check and said, "I mean it – I love you."

Bella blushed, "Okay," she nodded, squeezing his hand once more, "I love you too."

Edward smiled, but didn't have the chance to get out anymore words of encouragement as his door was opened and flash bulbs immediately blinded them.

Warily, Edward held onto Bella as he told the reporters that Angela lead him to, that he was a taken man.

"You're engaged!" One reporter choked.

"I'm just as shocked as you are." Bella laughed.

When another asked Bella how she had managed to snag one of the world's most eligible bachelors, she joked, "My cooking."

Edward was in awe of her ability to schmooze with the press – half of whom seemed jealous as hell that she took the infamous Anthony Masen off the market. But then he remembered that she'd grown up going to social events and was probably well trained to eloquently handle negative attention. She was utterly perfect and Edward couldn't take his eyes off her.

After they finally made it inside, Edward hugged her tightly and said, "I'm so proud of you, honey."

Bella smiled, "Really?" She bit her lip, "I was so nervous."

Edward laughed, "Trust me, nobody could tell."

Alice kept everyone entertained at dinner with some crazy celebrity stories (though of course she couldn't say to whom she was referring).

A chamber ensemble began to play after everyone finished eating. All eyes were on Edward and Bella as they took the dance floor.

Clearly Bella had been trained in dancing as she gracefully let Edward take the lead, sweeping her across the parquet.

When the music ended, Edward escorted Bella back to their table, safe in the company of Alice and Jasper, before taking to the stage.

During his entire speech, while he spoke of his parent's devotion to the cause, he only had eyes for Bella. She knew it and so did everyone else in the room. He finished by asking those in attendance to be generous with their donations and thanked them all for their support.

Edward stepped down from the podium and lost sight of Bella as Angela approached him, requesting he personally speak to a few of the bigger donors and members of the organization that had planned the event.

"Now where did the Dwyers go?" Angela thought aloud, "They flew in all the way from Seattle." She told Edward.

Upon hearing the name 'Dwyer,' all the color drained from Edward's face.

"Did you say Seattle?" He sputtered.

"Yes." Angela cocked a brow, wondering why he was suddenly acting so strangely, "Do you know them?"

Edward opened his mouth, but no words came out. Bella's parents were there and he could only assume it was to take her from him. Without another word to Angela, he tore through the crowd toward their table.

Bella, however, was absent.

"Where is she!" He cried.

"She just went to the bathroom." Alice rolled her eyes.

"How long ago?" He said frantically."

"What the hell's going on?" Angela finally caught up with him.

"I guess she has been gone for a while…" Alice said nervously, stowing her cell phone in her clutch, "Edward…?" She questioned.

"Her parents are here!" He swallowed hard, "We have to find her – oh, god, I hope it's not too late." He looked around the ballroom, searching for Bella.

"Too late for what!" Jasper was alarmed.

"They're gonna take her – we have to find her, NOW!" Edward did one more sweep of the room, "Alice, come with me; I need you to check the ladies room – Jasper, can you and Angela check out front and see if any of the paparazzi saw her leave?"

"Sure," Jasper replied just before taking off with Angela for the entrance.

Edward took Alice's hand and pulled her through the crowd, practically shoving her into the bathroom. She returned moments later with tears in her eyes as she shook her head, having found nothing.

"Oh my god." Edward panicked, "How could this happen?"

Noticing an exit door at the end of the hall, he took a chance and barreled through it.

His heart dropped and soared at the same time.

He had found Bella, but she was being forced into a limo by two men in tuxedos, while an elegant older woman stood watching, absolutely horrified, but helpless to stop the actions of the men.

"BELLA!" Edward called out, racing toward the car.

"EDWARD!" She cried, "HELP ME!"

The younger of the two men, with slicked back blonde hair and a baby face, stepped forward, blocking Edward from getting to Bella, while the older man restrained her, still trying to force her into the limo.

"LET. HER. GO!" Edward bellowed.

"Your parents kidnapped her." The older man spit, "She doesn't love you."

"Mother, please!" Bella begged, "Tell them the truth!"

"Alice, call the police." Edward barked, eyes still locked with the man pulling at Bella. His eyes were the same shade of brown as hers, but they were cold – so cold. He knew in that instant, this man was Bella's father. "I know who you are." Edward said through his teeth, nostrils flared in anger, "And I know what you did to her."

"All I ever did was love my daughter until she was taken from me." He snarled.

In the distance, Edward could hear sirens.

"Edward…" Jasper called from behind him, but he refused to take his eyes off Bella.

"It's okay sweetheart, the cops are almost here." He tried to reassure her, but he was still so far from her. If he could just touch her…

"Please let me go!" She begged her father as she began thrashing again.

"You're just gonna stand there?" Edward asked her mother, cruelly.

Edward tried to take a step closer, but his movement only caused the younger man to do the same. "Lemme guess," Edward growled, "Michael."

The man's eyes widened, confirming Edward's suspicions.

"Do you really want to force her to marry you again? Haven't you hurt her enough?" Edward's voice cracked as he yelled, "Haven't you _ALL_ done enough!"

"Sir, please step back." An authoritative voice, Edward assumed, belonging to a police officer sounded from behind him. "Would someone please explain to me what's going on here?"

He came up alongside Edward.

"Sir, please release that young woman." He commanded Bella's father.

His jaw clenched, knowing there was nothing he could do. His hands fell to his sides and Bella all but crashed into Edward.

He held her as close as physically possible, "I'll never let you go." He told her and she squeezed him tighter.

"I'm still waiting for an explanation." The officer said gruffly.

"That man's parents kidnapped my daughter and brainwashed her." Bella's father accused Edward. "She disappeared the night before her wedding five years ago – she's listed as a missing person!" He cried, realizing as he spoke, how ridiculous his argument sounded.

Upon hearing the circumstances surrounding her disappearance the police officer was immediately skeptical.

"Is that true, ma'am?" The officer asked Bella.

"No."

Everyone turned to look at the handsome woman in the evening gown that Edward thought was Bella's mother.

She looked frightened, but determined to finally make a stand, "Michael, I'm so sorry." She looked at the young man who was crestfallen. "Marie didn't love you and I couldn't let her throw her life away in a loveless marriage like I did."

"Shut your mouth Renette!" Bella's father roared.

"You took her childhood – I couldn't let you take her adulthood as well." The woman protested.

"You never loved me." Bella's voice was suddenly confident as she confronted her father, "I was never anything more than a piece of property you could use to get what you wanted." She seethed, still keeping a good distance between her and her father.

The police officer looked completely miffed. "Do you want to press charges?" He asked Bella and Edward.

Edward looked down at Bella for an answer.

"You're not worth the trouble." She said in a strangely calm voice as she stared at her father, "I never want to see you again." She said with conviction.

Bella stepped back toward Edward, "Please take me home." She whispered.

"Not today, officer." Edward answered the policeman as he tucked Bella into his side.

"Don't you ever try to find me again." She snarled at her father. However Bella's facial features softened when her gaze became trained on her mother, "I forgive you." She choked and Renette Dwyer looked as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, "Come with us." She offered. "We can take care of you." Bella promised.

Renette looked between her fuming husband and forgiving daughter. She truly shocked everyone with her decision, "Phillip, I want a divorce." She said without a hint of remorse in her voice.

Phillip's face couldn't have been more red with anger as he watched his future ex-wife leave his side and make her way toward her daughter's welcoming and open arms. Finally she hugged Bella the way she'd never been allowed.

Edward had never seen Bella look so relaxed – so content – so complete. He had not only given her his love, but had reunited her with her mother, filling the only missing part of her soul.

And in completing Bella, Edward was finally at ease with himself as well.

* * *

**AN:** I'm so sorry for the delay; I've been traveling, but that's not an excuse. There's a short epilogue that I'll post early, on Friday to make it up to you. Thank you all for your support. Also, Bella's Gala gown is posted on my profile.


	19. Epilogue: August 10

**August 10**

**

* * *

**

_To my beautiful Bella,_

_No words can adequately describe the depth of my feelings for you, though I've certainly put in a solid effort._

_I fell for you so hard and so fast._

_Let me tell you how._

_This is our love story._

_Yours eternally, Edward_

_

* * *

_

Edward read the dedication in the only special edition of his soon to be published book before slipping it back into the wrapping paper. Every other copy would replace the names Edward and Bella with their alter egos Wesley and Madison.

But he had one copy printed and bound with their actual names. After all, it was his ultimate grand gesture for his wife.

He looked at the clock for the umpteenth time that evening. Eleven fifty-two – he had eight more minutes until it would officially be their one year anniversary – though they'd only been married for four months. He promised himself he'd wait until the clock struck midnight, but time was moving slower than he thought possible.

Since they had last been in Los Angeles, when he had almost lost her, so much had changed. In addition to their marriage, Rose and Emmett had gotten pregnant again. Rose was pissed by the way, but Vera was thrilled as she was convinced her mother was finally going to give her the baby sister she'd always dreamed about bossing around.

Alice and Jasper had tied the knot as well – after Edward and Bella, interestingly enough. Edward and Bella had a quiet ceremony in Delta while Alice (and Jasper by proxy) had opted for a grandiose ceremony and reception. It was perfect for them, but Edward and Bella were both relieved they had decided on something much smaller.

In the spring, Edward began an addition to the hanger and had started looking to add cars to his father's collection. He told Bella he wouldn't buy a car without her approval, but that it wasn't for her, so she couldn't be upset with him – of course, any car he purchased to add to their fleet was only for her, though.

And then of course there was the matter of Renette. She'd been doing quite well, considering. The divorce was almost finalized and since her parents had been just as wealthy as Phillip, she wouldn't suffer financially after their separation. She'd stayed with Edward and Bella for a few weeks after being reunited with Bella in Los Angeles, but soon grew restless and missed her friends and activities back in Seattle. So, they flew out to Seattle with Renette and helped her find a perfect condo, promising to visit often before finally returning to Delta.

But the best part of the last several months, by far, had been the noted change in Bella. Of course, neither of them had anything to hide any longer, so there was nothing to prevent them from devoting themselves to each other. She smiled more often, she was rarely in a bad mood and she radiated contentment. Edward hoped she saw the same change in him, because he certainly felt like he had finally found a purpose in life: taking care of her.

Bella stirred next to him in the bed, searching for his warmth even in her slumber. As she curled her body against his, the covers shifted, revealing her bare chest. It took all the strength Edward could muster not to crawl on top of her and sheath himself in her body.

Eleven fifty-seven.

Edward groaned quietly – his desire for Bella seemed to never abate; however, usually neither minded.

Midnight! At last!

Edward began by slowly running his hands very gently over her body, paying close attention to her breasts. It took a few moments, but she began to regain consciousness and her keening raised in volume.

"Bella…" He moaned against the soft skin at her neck, "I need you…" He bit down, but not so hard that it would hurt her.

Just as Edward had hoped, her sleepy eyes fluttered open and were instantly awash with want. "What time is it?" She grumbled, still half asleep. Edward knew she couldn't have been that angry because her little fingers were already tugging his boxers down his hips.

"It's midnight – Happy Anniversary, sweetheart." He kissed her soundly, pressing her into the mattress with half his weight upon her.

"Anniversary…?" She moaned.

Edward slipped out of his boxers and sat back on his heels, "One year ago today – at this exact moment – you agreed to give me a chance." He hovered over her, stroking himself with one hand and coaxing Bella's legs apart with the other.

"I didn't know," Bella pouted, frowning slightly.

"I guess you'll just have to make it up to me." He raised an eyebrow.

"What did you have in mind?" She propped herself up on her elbows.

Edward grinned wickedly, "I want you to tell me one of your deepest, darkest fantasies."

Bella bit her lip nervously, "Really?" She looked up at him through her lashes.

"Oh, yes." He said affirmatively.

She furrowed her brow in concentration, but Edward knew the moment the idea came to mind as her eyes widened and a flaming blush spread across her cheeks.

"Well?" He smirked.

"I have to say it out loud?" She asked sheepishly.

"How else am I supposed to know?" He laughed.

"Fine," She pouted, but leaned up to whisper her fantasy in his ear.

Edward nodded with a smile playing across his lips, but he wasn't as excited as Bella had hoped, "Not adventurous enough?" She asked.

"No, I just think you've got more hidden in that dirty mind of yours." He smiled, sliding off the bed and holding his hands out to Bella to help her down.

"Well, you're right." She challenged, "I wasn't finished."

Edward watched her curiously as she walked over to the bathroom and propped the door open all the way then said, "Turn around, please."

He heard her rifling in the closet before she said, "Okay."

He turned then and scanned her up and down as she made her way over to him by the sofa where she'd told him to stand. She was completely nude, save for a pair of very tall, deep red pumps.

"I'm sorry I forgot what day it is." She twirled a lock of her hair through her fingers, "I guess you better punish me so I'll remember next time." Bella bent over the arm of the sofa in their room, exposing her bare ass to Edward. The heels made her back arch in lovely curve as she perched her ass in the air.

He sucked in a strangled breath.

"You're sure?" He approached her, running his warm palm over the curve of her ass cheek.

"Oh, yes." She mimicked him. "If you don't spank me, I'll never learn." She told him.

"I guess you're right." He chuckled just before letting his hand come into contact with her soft flesh.

Bella's immediate groan of ecstasy was cut off when his hand landed on the other cheek with a loud thwack.

"How many do you think it will take so we make sure this never happens again?" He rubbed the reddened skin in the distinct shape of a hand print.

"You know best…" She panted.

Edward ran his hand slowly down the inside of her thigh until his fingers came into contact with her obvious arousal. "Oh Isabella…" He whispered, "If I didn't know any better I'd think you forgot what today was on purpose." He slid his length over her folds, lubricating himself with her need.

"Please…" She begged.

He smacked her again, "Not yet." He laughed mockingly. "Do you want another?" Edward asked menacingly.

"Yessss…" Bella hissed.

Edward spanked her one final time before completely taking her by surprise as he thrust into her hard and fast, "You naught girl…" He growled as he pumped into her, loving the cries of pleasure that fell from her lips.

When he slowed his pace to torture Bella that much more, he looked up only to find her big brown does eyes – now hooded with lust – staring back at him.

She had propped open the bathroom door so she could watch herself in the full length mirror mounted there.

"Oh god," he gasped.

The sight of Bella, bent over the couch in those fuck-me heels with and expression of absolute rapture upon her beautiful face as he impaled her was so much more than Edward could handle. He grabbed hold of her breasts as he pounded into her.

She cried out as her walls closed in around him, triggering his own climax as he spilled his release inside of her, letting her muscles take him for all he was worth before he pulled out of her.

They both took a moment to catch their breaths. As soon as he felt strong enough, he gathered Bella in his arms and carried her into the bathroom where they both cleaned up. Ignoring her protests, he then proceeded to carry her back to the bed and gently rubbed each foot as he slid the beautiful shoes off her.

"Are you very sore?" Edward asked as he gently ran his hand over her ass.

"No…" She sighed, "It was perfect."

"The heels were a nice touch." He smirked, "And the mirror…" He trailed off.

"I know…" She sighed in agreement. "I wanted to see you while you had me."

"Did it live up to your fantasy?" Edward kissed her cheek before nuzzling her neck.

"Way better." She smiled, "I love you." She brought her hand up to run it through his hair, scratching his scalp a bit, the way he liked.

"I have one more thing for you." He said, trying to hold back his excitement.

"Edward!" She protested, sitting up in the bed, "I didn't even know about today and you're not allowed to buy me anything." She folded her arms, "We had a deal."

And by deal, she meant that she had continually told him not to buy her anything and usually he merely nodded and pretended he'd comply with her wishes. He'd never actually agreed to anything of the sort.

"I'm your husband – I love you more than life itself – and I can get you whatever I want to." He grinned widely at her, earning a sharp shove to his side. "Aww, my violent little girl…" He laughed, attempting to smother her with little wet kisses as she tried to squirm out of his tight hold.

But short sweet kisses turned into languid, passionate ones and after a few minutes, Edward rolled off Bella completely out of breath – instantly she found her favorite spot and curled into his side.

Edward reached his long arm over to the top drawer in his night stand and pulled out the book-shaped package he was looking for and then handed it to her.

"Edward…" She pouted.

"Just open it, please." He turned on his side to get a good view of the look on her face when she saw what was beneath the wrapping paper he'd attempted to enclose the contents with.

Bella looked up at him dubiously before she carefully removed the paper. She stared at the book for a long moment. "Letters from Delta?" Her voice trembled as she read the title, her fingers brushed over his name on the front cover. "I didn't know…" She looked down at the book then back up at him. "You got a book deal?" She guessed.

"I did." He confirmed, tucking a stray stand of sex tousled hair behind her ear. "But you're the only one who will ever own _this_ version." He helped her open the book to the dedication page and watched with bated breath as her eyes scanned the text before promptly filling with tears. Edward wiped them away as they rolled down her cheeks.

"You wrote about us?" She choked.

"I hope that's okay." He was suddenly filled with a sense of dread; he felt foolish for not consulting her about it because he'd been so wrapped up in surprising her with the finished product.

"Yeah – of course." She said immediately.

He sighed in relief. "I just wanted you to know…" Edward tried to ignore the lump in his throat. "How much you mean to me – how much you changed me – how much I love you." He buried his face in her hair, holding her as close as he could.

"I've always known." She whispered, stroking his back lovingly and sinking into his embrace.

We were both home.

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**AN:** I'm sorry it's so short. It was going to be as long as most of my chapters, but I got to this point and it just felt like the right place to finish. Also, for anyone interested, I posted an image of Edward's book cover on my profile. You guys got that you've been reading his book the whole time, right?

I'd like to thank everyone who's been reading and especially those who've been so supportive through reviews like .ange, Green Fallen Leaves, WhoKnew24, Milk-Eyed Mender, BonesnBooth4ever, west iris, nothing2me and Caite126 just to name a few. I really appreciate all your feedback and I'm going to miss you guys!

Lastly, I have a link on my profile to my Fiction Press account as I've got a few original stories there and will be starting the final installment of the Gray series in a few weeks.

Thanks again for everything and as usual, have a fantastic day!


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